Loyal soldier of the Empire - Journal of an Imperial Stormtrooper
by Hoplite39
Summary: You do not need to know my name. My name is not of concern. All you need to know is that I am, and always will be, a loyal servant of the Galactic Empire. I am an imperial stormtrooper. We are the elite soldiers of the Emperor. We enforce only one law: Obedience to the Emperor. There is only one punishment for failure: Death. (A New Hope from the perspective of a Stormtrooper).
1. Loyal Soldier of the Empire

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS.**

CHAPTER 1 - A LOYAL SOLDIER OF THE EMPIRE

You do not need to know my name. My name is not of concern. All you need to know is that I am, and always will be, a loyal servant of the galactic Empire. I am an imperial stormtrooper. We are the proud elite soldiers of the Emperor. We are unwavering in our loyalty and our determination to enforce his will on the galaxy. We have only one purpose: To live and die in the name of the Empire. We enforce only one law: Obedience to the Emperor. There is only one punishment for disobedience and failure: Death.

It was always my ambition to serve the Empire and our Emperor. I consider myself to be fortunate that I have been given the honour to serve the Empire as an imperial stormtrooper. It was the proudest day of my life to join the ranks of the Empire's elite. After so many months of hard training and dedication, I had at last achieved my childhood dream. I still remember how my mother wept tears of pride and joy as I stood on the parade ground with my fellow recruits in our new white stormtrooper armour when we pronounced our oath to the Emperor. It is a day I will never forget and a memory that is etched deep into my mind. It is also the last time I saw my mother alive.

I realise that my oath to the Emperor supersedes all loyalty to any other persons, including my parents. It was a sacrifice that I made with pride in my heart. And it was a sacrifice that my mother was pleased to make as a loyal citizen of the Empire. She had always encouraged me to join the Imperial forces. It was the happiest day of her life to give her only child in the service of the Emperor and it fulfilled an ambition that both of us had relentlessly pursued since my birth. But apart from that, I was glad to please her and put back a little bit of joy in her heart after the years of sorrow she had suffered since the death of my father.

Both my parents were loyal imperial servants. My father was a fighter pilot in the imperial navy, fighting for security and order which the Empire brought to the galaxy. My mother was a teacher who educated our children to become good and loyal citizens of the Empire.

From a young age my parents always taught me how our beloved Emperor Palpatine had brought order and peace into a galaxy. How he built the Empire from the ruins of the stagnant and decrepit Old Republic. How he had sent his forces to hunt down the deceitful and corrupt Jedi masters who used their power to oppress and deceive the peoples of the galaxy with their lies of liberty and democracy.

My father always regaled me with stories of the battles he had participated in. How he and his comrades had destroyed rebel and pirate ships. How our invincible imperial stormtroopers mercilessly crushed the traitors and criminals who dared oppose our great and just galactic Empire. Each night, I went to bed with dreams of glory. Either destroying fleeing rebel ships in a tie-fighter or cutting down cowardly traitors with my stormtrooper blaster rifle.

I was so proud to be associated with the strength and power of the Empire. It always filled my heart with pride and joy to hear about the victories of our imperial forces over those traitors and so-called rebels who opposed the Emperor's will. Nothing can stand in the way of our fleets or armies. I have never understood why the rebels could oppose the Empire. They are weak, both morally and militarily. And for that reason, they are doomed to failure and destruction.

Likewise, my mother always explained to me that the only way to live a decent life was in service of the Emperor. She taught me that devotion and loyalty to the Empire was the only true way to bring peace, order and prosperity to the galaxy. And to this end, all loyal imperial citizens must make sacrifices and all traitors must be eliminated.

I was only 9 years old when we were informed that my father had been killed in action against rebel forces. My mother told me I should not be sad as he had died with honour fighting the enemies of the Empire. My mother told me she was not sad and she was proud of him. But I know it affected her. She was never the same after his death. She was always full of sadness and sorrow and it was only when she finally saw me in in my stormtrooper armour that I saw her truly happy again.

But my mother was right of course. I refused to let myself be sad over the honourable sacrifice my father had made. But I vowed that I would kill as many rebels as I could to avenge his death. So with my mother's support, I dedicated myself to joining the imperial forces. Unfortunately, I did not have the skills to be a pilot. But I was delighted when the imperial authorities accepted my application as a recruit in the Stormtrooper trainee program.

Shortly after I shipped out, I was informed that my mother had died. I must admit it pained me greatly. But I it made me even more determined to serve the Empire with the very fibre of my being. By doing my duty as an imperial stormtrooper, not only would I serve the Emperor, but I would also honour the memory of my parents.

Each time I put on my uniform and go out to perform my duty, I always remember my mother's words of wisdom as she kissed me goodnight each evening. She said, "Remember my child. There are only two types of people in this galaxy. Those who serve the Emperor well, and those who deserve to die."

My mother and father may be gone Now. But their devotion and loyalty to the Empire live on in me. I have a new family now. The Emperor is my father. The Empire is my mother. And my Stormtrooper comrades are my brothers and sisters. All others must learn to bow before us or die.

Today is a great day. Lord Vader has joined our ship and has taken personal command of an important mission. My comrades and I are greatly honoured by his presence and determined to demonstrate our worth to the Empire. We are to intercept and board an Alderaanian ship carrying rebel spies. We shall not fail him or the Empire.

We are imperial stormtroopers. We shall do our duty or die trying.


	2. The Arrival of Lord Vader

Chapter 2 – The Arrival of Lord Vader

Imperial Stormtroopers are some of the best informed people in the galaxy in matters relating to the Empire. Or at least, well informed as regards rumours and hear-say are concerned.

That should be obvious. Whether we are standing guard, escorting dignitaries, guarding prisoners or even on patrol, we overhear a lot of information.

It is incredible what a stormtroopers can hear while we are on duty. Sometimes a General will explain his whole battle to his officers while we are acting as his bodyguard. Or imperial scientists will stop right in front of us and discuss new weaponry or techniques for conditioning new troopers while we are standing guard in a corridor.

The truth is, when it comes to Imperial Stormtroopers, there are only really two types of people in the galaxy.

The first type of people are those who do not see us as a threat such as imperial servants and other members of the Imperial military. They tend to treat us as if we are invisible. They either assume that we are either not listening, we are not interested in their conversation, we are not sufficiently intelligent to understand what they are saying or we will act with the required discretion. This means they often talk freely in front of us about their work or opinions, often in incredible detail and with surprising frankness. However, we rarely hear anything that could be considered as seditious or treasonous. Most imperial servants would not say such things openly. And since we are soldiers and not spies, such talk is not our concern anyway.

The second sort of people we overhear are those who regard us as a threat. They either stay completely quiet in our presence or freely spout their vile seditious lies and insults. Again, we are not concerned with what they say. We only act as ordered by our commanding officers, whether that be to execute them, detain them, beat them or even let them go.

Either way, what others say in front of us is not our concern. We are deployed as soldiers to enforce the will of the Emperors. We are not spies and do not take action based on what we hear others say, unless specifically ordered to do so.

Then of course there is the rumour mill among stormtroopers when we are off-duty. As elite stormtroopers, we never fraternize either professionally or socially with any anybody outside our own unit, whether they are loyal imperial citizens or not. But among ourselves, we often discuss what we have heard.

For the most part, our commanding officers make no attempt to stop these conversations. Many people, whether they are loyal to the Empire or not, assume that we are mindless droids. That is obviously an image we are happy to encourage since it enhances the general view of us as feared, fearless and ruthless servants of the Empire. But our direct commanding officers know better. They realise that in order to conduct successful operations, we have to interact with our comrades to build and maintain the moral and comradeship that is essential in an organisation such as ours.

We are also given reasonable free time to socialise among ourselves and take part in leisure activities that include reading books, watching vids, listening to music and playing games which have been approved by the Imperial authorities.

In fact, our commanding officers even insist that we keep a journal like the one I am writing here. Our commanding officers use it to assess our state of mind. It is rumoured that they employ expert psychologists to analyse our entries to detect any evidence of sedition, disloyalty or demotivation. That is why I write this completely honestly. If I try to cover anything up, I am sure the imperial psychologists would recognise it anyway and would take the required action.

But returning to the discussions that we troopers have among themselves, our commanding officers do not interfere too much with what we say to each other. Both they and we know that all our conversations are monitored at all times. No one would ever say anything that could deliberately harm the Empire or would be considered treasonous. Also, because we do not talk outside our unit, they possibly believe that the information we have is relatively secure. Or perhaps, they also simply believe that since there are so many rumours, no one really knows what the truth is anyway.

In theory if we are captured by the enemy, we could provide valuable information to our captives. Of course, as loyal stormtroopers all of us would prefer to die rather than be captured or divulge information to the enemy. But even if we gave them the information, most of it would be either obsolete or unreliable anyway. At least that is what rebel spy told his imperial interrogators while I was standing guard a year or so ago. And I must admit it makes sense and made me realize that not everything that my comrades tell me may be accurate.

So when my squad leader, Corporal Noremac, told me that Lord Vader would be coming aboard our Star Destroyer, I was naturally sceptical. It was not the first time I had heard such rumours. And to my great disappointment, the rumours of Lord Vader's impending visit had always turned out to be false in the past.

However, this time was different. I heard the rumour from various sources and even heard some senior officers discussing it when they passed me in the corridor while I was standing guard. So our hopes were high that Lord Vader would be coming aboard and we put ourselves on a state of readiness in case he should arrive at short notice.

Lord Vader was often known for visiting ships at very short notice and disciplining soldiers and officers for being unprepared. Many had been demoted or lost their lives in such cases as is only right. As Imperial servants, our very existence is dedicated to the service of the Empire. And we should always be available to serve the Emperor or Lord Vader at a moment's notice and without question.

As it happened, the rumour of Lord Vader's visit turned out to be true. Lord Vader would visit our ship. When the news was confirmed, I have to admit that I, like all my comrades, felt very energised by the news. Many Imperial Stormtroopers, including myself, have never been in the presence of the Emperor or Lord Vader. So the act of actually seeing and possibly interacting with Lord Vader would be the most significant moment of our whole lives. While many on the ship awaited Lord Vader's arrival with fear and trepidation, we looked forward to with with unbridled eagerness.

It is impossible for me to understate how important Lord Vader's visit was to us. As Imperial Stormtroopers, we only exist to serve the Emperor and the Empire. So to be in the presence of an imperial legend such as Lord Vader, who personified the Empire and everything we fought for, would be a truly transcendental moment for us all.

Not only that, but we hoped, as all Stormtroopers did, that Lord Vader may personally lead us out on a mission so that we can show him what can do. It was our chance for each one of us to make an impression on the most important and well-known Imperial commander apart from the Emperor himself.

There were rumours that Lord Vader sometimes rewarded troopers who performed well in the field by transferring them to his personal command. So we all hoped that we could be given a chance to show our worth to the Empire.

Of course, everyone knew that serving directly under Lord Vader was one of the most dangerous postings a stormtrooper could have. We heard that troopers serving directly under Lord Vader tended to suffer the highest casualty rates in the Empire. We understood that this was because Lord Vader of course went on the most dangerous missions and that the troopers under his command naturally act with fanatical courage. We of course dismissed the other insidious rumours that casualty rates were high because Lord Vader was frivolous with the lives of his men and tended to dish out summary executions for the most minor failure.

Regardless of the dangers and the reasons for theses dangers, we were all desperately hoping to participate in an operation led by lord Vader. We were imperial stormtroopers. We lived to serve the Empire and dying heroically in the presence of Lord Vader was something that we all regarded as an honour, and even an ultimate ambition. Fighting for the Empire is the meaning of our very existence. So fighting and dying with honour in the presence of the Emperor or Lord Vader was the ultimate manifestation of our very being.

Despite the fears that Lord Vader may turn up suddenly unannounced, we were actually given a few hours notice. From the time of the announcement up to the time of Lord Vader's scheduled arrival, the ship was a frantic hive of activity as the officers and crew put everything was in place to ensure that Lord Vader would be satisfied with the operation of the ship.

Two hours before Lord Vader was due to arrive, we were already standing to attention in the shuttle bay waiting for Lord Vader's shuttle. Not all stormtrooper were able to attend, as many had duties elsewhere on the ship or were ordered to rest. I was very fortunate not only to attend this momentous event in our lives, but to also be standing in the second rank where I would get a relatively decent view of his arrival.

There were members of all services present in the shuttle bay to honour Lord Vader, all standing to attention in ordered ranks of five men deep. As well as stormtroopers like ourselves, there were tie-fighter pilots, command staff in their grey uniforms and caps, unarmoured security troops and even some technical and engineering units.

In such a circumstances, I cannot understate how fortunate it was to be wearing stormtrooper armour. We are of course conditioned to support discomfort. But our armour also eases the strain on your muscles as you stand for a long time. This is a very important feature as we have to stand motionless on guard, often for hours on end. And secondly, the helmet covers our face which means that no one can see the expression on your face as you grimace in pain, twitch, smile or even burst out laughing. In fact, you can even sneeze without someone noticing. So for us, standing motionless for a couple of hours was no effort at all.

It must have been very difficult for the other troops without helmets and armour to stand to attention for so long. Not that I care much for the discomfort of others. I personally would have stood quite happily to attention in the freezing cold for five hours without armour to greet Lord Vader. And I don't make that claim lightly as I have had to do just that. It is part of our training.

When Lord Vader's shuttle did arrive, I had to use all my conditioning to suppress the emotions of elation, excitement and anticipation that coursed through my body. I have to admit I feel embarrassed at saying that. But I am sure all my comrades felt exactly the same, although none would ever admit to it.

When Lord Vader finally appeared, his dark cloak swaying elegantly around him, my expectations were not only met; they were far exceeded. Lord Vader has an unmistakeable aura of power and self-assurance with seems to vibrate from the very fibre of his being. Even though I was only a few yards from him, I could feel his essence flow through me and it put a delicious shiver down my spine as he passed by. It made me understand the raw power of the Empire like I had never experienced it before. And it reinforced my conviction that the Empire could only be victorious and that our enemies were ultimately destined to defeat and annihilation.

In the end, Lord Vader only appeared in front of us for a few seconds. He walked quickly from his shuttle and was immediately flanked by two terrified looking senior officers who tried to fall in step beside him as he walked briskly by.

At that moment, I was relieved to be wearing my helmet. The helmet may be designed with a permanent scowl on it. But that doesn't mean that we are always scowling inside. I couldn't help smiling as the terrified officers uttered an awkward greeting to Lord Vader, while desperately trying to keep pace with him.

From where I was, I couldn't hear exactly what was being said. But it was clear that Lord Vader was asking some direct questions and expecting some direct answers. The two stammering officers were shaking with terror as they desperately tried to answer Lord Vader's questions to his satisfaction, all the time while almost running after him in an attempt to keep up with Lord Vader's brisk pace.

Then as suddenly as Lord Vader had appeared, he had walked through the doors and was gone. A squad of stormtroopers fell in behind him, but I was unfortunately not part of that unit. After a few minutes, our commanders dismissed us and we returned to our quarters or to other assigned duties. My first glimpse of Lord Vader had ended after only a few seconds. But fortunately for me, it would not be the last.

Only an hour later, we were informed that we would take part in a boarding action against a rebel ship. We were ordered to prepare for heavy resistance. Fortunately for me, my squad was selected to enter the rebel ship first. This was our chance to demonstrate our worth to the Empire. This was my opportunity to demonstrate to Lord Vader personally that I was worthy of the Imperial stormtrooper uniform that I had the honour to wear.

And I was at last delighted to be involved in some real action at last.


	3. Preparation for combat

CHAPTER 3 - PREPARATION FOR COMBAT

Although I had served as an Imperial Stormtrooper for two years, I like most of my unit, had never seen any real fire-fights or any situation that could be considered dangerous.

We had of course boarded suspected rebel and pirate ships and put down major disturbances on planets under imperial jurisdiction, which of course was the whole galaxy as far as we were concerned.

Even when there was resistance, the enemy was mostly poorly armed and organised. In these cases, we always moved in hard and fast with blasters blazing and quickly neutralised any threat. In all cases, we eliminated all potentially hostile targets in only a matter of seconds. We would then detain any survivors and perform the necessary summary executions as ordered by our commanders.

Even where there was no armed resistance, our mode of operation was the same. We were sometimes sent to rebellious cities and settlements to deal with disturbances in the streets organised by traitors who opposed the will of the Emperor. The traitors called these gatherings peaceful protests, but we regarded them as seditious acts of treason that should be crushed mercilessly. In these cases, we just charged in firing our blasters into the crowd until they dispersed, which usually occurred quite quickly. Then we spent the next few days detaining and/or summarily executing anyone who imperial authorities suspected of being involved in the insurrection.

Of course, we did not kill everyone. It suited the imperial authorities to release some of the less dangerous criminals so that they would inform others of the consequences that awaited those who opposed the Emperor. Personally, I think that we should have executed them all as they were all traitors by either suspicion or association. Such people could not be trusted and were a danger to the lives, well-being and prosperity of loyal and decent imperial citizens. Their very existence was an insult to the Emperor. They were rotten elements that should be cut out and destroyed without hesitation. But of course, it was not my position to make decisions on the fate of captives. I obeyed the orders I was given, even if I didn't agree with them.

Because of our reputation as efficient enforcers of the Emperor's peace, most of the time we did not face armed opposition. Most ship boarding or detainment operations were unopposed. Most of our targets realised that they would not stand a chance against us. In these cases, we simply secured the ship or location and detained or summarily executed any individuals as instructed by our superior officers.

Although we were proud to make our contribution in these minor operations, we always considered ourselves to be under-utilised. We were an elite military unit trained and conditioned to engage heavily armed opposition. The fact that we had not faced any organised armed opposition was great a disappointment to us. In fact, my unit never suffered one real casualty during any of our operations previous to the Tantive IV boarding. At worst, some of us suffered light injuries. But there had been no fatalities or even major injuries.

Indeed, we were concerned that we would never take part in a serious military engagement. The rebels were on the run and we knew that the Death Star was in operation. We had heard that the Death Star had incredible fire power which could destroy rebel bases from space. If that was true, then there would be no need for troops like us to engage the enemy on the ground. All that would leave us with was mopping-up and police operations. Although we would unwaveringly serve the Emperor in any way he required, we were of course anxious to serve in the highest capacity possible.

So when our commanding officer informed us that Lord Vader would be leading a boarding party against a rebel ship which was expected to offer heavy resistance, we were eager to be involved. Not only would we be able to put our training into practice, but we would be in a position to demonstrate our worth as loyal servants of the Empire to Lord Vader in person.

From that moment, our barracks were a buzz of excitement. All of us desperately hoped that our squad would be selected for the operation. Our commanders put us through rigorous mock-boarding training exercises to prepare us for the operation. There would be a couple of days before our Star Destroyer would intercept the ship. So we enthusiastically dedicated ourselves to our preparations in the time available.

We rarely saw Lord Vader during this time. But sometimes he turned up to observe our training exercises. Whenever he was present, we applied ourselves even more rigorously in carrying out our training exercises, eager to demonstrate our determination to carry out the operation successfully. He never spoke to any of us. But that did not matter. Simply being in the presence of Lord Vader, however fleeting that moment may be, was a great honour for all of us.

Fortunately, my squad was selected to take part in the operation. Not only that, but I was selected to be the third to enter the enemy ship after fellow trooper Brynnar and squad leader Noremac . My heart almost burst with pride and joy when I heard the news. I can't understate what a great honour it was for me to be selected to be third in the assault group. All of my fellow troopers were envious of me, just as I was envious of Bynnar and Noremac who would go in before me.

Although it was a very dangerous to be one of the first to face the fire of the enemy, I was not afraid. It was of course very possible that I would not survive the engagement. But I knew that live or die, I would get an opportunity to truly serve the Emperor as a dedicated Imperial stormtrooper, confronting the enemies of justice and reason. I could think of no better destiny.

We was resting in our quarters after a rigorous training session when the alarm sounded. We immediately jumped up and started equipping ourselves with our armour and equipment. Soon after, we were all equipped and at the assigned rendez-vous point well before the pursuit of the rebel ship began. We then deployed in the hangar bay where the tractor-beam would bring the enemy ship and waited patiently for the assault to begin.

We were not aware of the space battle that was raging outside as the fleeing rebel ship exchanged fire with our Star Destroyer. It must have been a wondrous sight to behold as our Star Destroyer hunted down the rebel ship like a predator hunting its prey.

We waited in the wide access corridor in silence. We did not speak. We just waited and double-checked out blasters and armour to ensure everything was in place. I was standing near the front of the corridore just behind Brynnar and Noremac who flanked the maintenance droids that would blast a gap in the enemy's hull to allow us entry. The rest of our unit was crowded behind. I was not nervous. I was just anxious to get into action. I am sure the others felt the same. Lord Vader was not with us. I presumed he would join us later once we had secured the ship for him.

Eventually, we were given the official alert to make ourselves ready for combat. That was just a formality. We had been ready for a couple of hours. That meant the space battle was over and the rebel ship was caught in our tractor beam. It looked like the rebels were going to fight.

It had occurred to me that the rebels may simply surrender once they were captured by the tractor beam. They would be out-gunned, out-numbered and had nowhere to go. It was crazy for them to resist. Only certain death and defeat awaited them. It made me wonder what a ruthless and heartless person their leader must be to waste the lives of their people so unnecessarily. But on the other hand, I was grateful that their stubbornness would give me an opportunity to kill some traitors in the presence of Lord Vader.

I waited with great anticipation for the boarding for the Tantive IV to begin.


	4. Boarding of the Tantive IV

CHAPTER 4 – THE BOARDING OF THE TANTIVE IV

As we waited to board the enemy ship, our commanders confirmed our orders through our internal intercoms. The orders given were 1065L-2977C-6932A(LO).

Imperial stormtrooper orders generally consist of a four digit number and some letters. Each order is very specific, each one having its own detailed nuances and objectives. We have to learn the detail of every order during our training.

In this case, order 1065L was a straight forward boarding operation where we were to neutralise all armed resistance as quickly as possible, but to take prisoners who offered to surrender. The 'L' referred to importance in taking the prisoner with 'A' being critically important and 'Z' meaning not important at all. So capturing prisoners among the general crew was seen as medium priority in this case. For regular crew, that was relatively high priority compared to previous missions. So it suggested high command was eager to take prisoners for interrogation.

Order 2977C instructed us to capture any senior officers alive when possible, although we could injure them if required. The 'C' at the end suggested that this was quite high priority.

The 6932A(LO) was an unusual order which stated that we had to capture a specific individual unharmed. The letter 'A' informed us that this was of critical priority and the letters in brackets informed us of the initials of the person's name. The 'LO' In this case referred to Leia Organa. We had been shown images of her and told that she would probably be dressed in a white senator's gown. But we were told to watch out in case she tried to disguise herself in other clothing.

The 6932A order was a concern to us. We had been ordered to go in all guns blazing. So I hoped Organa would not be at our boarding location or involved in the initial fire fight. I didn't want to kill her by accident. Not that I cared about killing a rebel traitor. But I did not want us to fail the mission objective. However, since I knew she was an imperial senator, I did not expect her to be involved in the fighting. In fact, I didn't expect her be trained in the use of a blaster weapons.

I suspected it was also the reason we were entering the ship from only one location and announcing clearly our entry point. It would increase the risk of casualties on our side, but I suspected that our officers wanted to ensure that Organa was given a chance to avoid the battle zone.

At last, we heard the clunk of machinery above us as the rebel ship was secured in the hangar bay. The blast doors in front of us opened and we all advanced into another corridor and took up position just outside a main entry point to the rebel ship. The maintenance droids went immediately to work cutting through an external blast door of the rebel ship, as Noremac and Brynnar quickly placed explosive charges on the area to be blown in. After the droids had cut through a wide rectangular section of bast door, we retreated a few yards. Then Noremac set off the explosives. The whole process only took a few seconds.

The hull of the ship exploded inwards and we all rushed forward through the destroyed blast door, firing rapidly from the hip with our blaster rifles. We nearly always fire from the hip. It reduces accuracy but allows us to lay down heavy fire over a wide area. In saying that, we practice firing from the hip a lot and so are quite accurate, especially at close range.

In the corridor, there were about a dozen unarmoured rebels armed with blaster pistols. They wore the distinctive uniform of Alderaan consisting of a blue uniform, black waist-coat and black helmet. Despite the fact the rebels were waiting for us, the explosion of the door dazed them and gave us a couple of extra seconds before they opened fire. We used that time to our full advantage. While the rebels were still recovering from the blast, we laid down a heavy blanket of blaster fire which immediately caused casualties among the defenders. Even before they opened fire, our initial assault had already caused two or three of them to fall to the floor dead or wounded.

However, the rest of the rebels quickly recovered and returned fire. Soon we were advancing through a hail of blaster bolts. In front of me, Brynnar was hit in the chest and collapsed to the ground in a heap on the floor and lay still. I knew it must be serious. This was the first real casualty our unit had suffered since I became an Imperial Stormtrooper. But I didn't waste time checking him. I stepped over his body and continued firing.

It just showed how accurate the enemy fire was. As well as having a psychological effect on the enemy, our armour was designed to give us some protection against blaster fire. It can prevent us from being injured from glancing hits or shots that deflect off walls. It will not stop a direct blaster hit from a blaster pistol like the ones the rebels were using. However, if we are hit directly, but are not seriously injured, we can usually stay upright and fight on even if out mobility is limited. In the case of Brynnar, they must have hit in a vital organ directly through the armour. It was clear that at least some of the rebels were military trained and had experience fighting in high-stress combat situations. That in itself was evidence of treachery.

We advanced into the corridor continuously firing. More rebels fell to the ground as blaster bolts struck them. As we poured into the corridor, the rest of the rebels broke and ran, still firing as they as they fled. Behind me I heard a crash as my fellow trooper Yanir was hit in the head by a blaster bolt and collapsed to the ground beside the entry point. Yet another critical casualty on our side.

This first engagement had lasted only a few seconds. In that time, we had taken down about half-a-dozen rebels. We had lost two troopers. I didn't think too much about the condition of Yanir and Brynnar at that moment. I was more concerned in achieving the mission objectives.

We rushed down the corridor in pursuit of the rebels. Squad leader Noremac was in front of me with Yalasa and Thanos close behind. In previous boarding missions, resistance collapsed after the first fire-fight. But not in this case. We rounded a corner and were met by a hail of blaster fire. Thanos was hit directly in the torso and went crashing to the floor. We returned fire immediately, killing two rebels. The other rebels fled and we moved forward in pursuit.

We advanced to the next intersection and waited for more stormtroopers from the same company to move up beside us. Although we were eager to engage the enemy and would not hesitate to put our lives on the line in the heat of battle, we were not encouraged to recklessly rush enemy positions without support. On the other hand, part of the mission objective was to neutralise resistance as quickly as possible. So we needed to pursue the mission without too much delay.

Reinforced by our newly arrived comrades, we moved quickly round the corner, blasting away from the hip at the rebel defenders who had taken cover in doorways and bulkheads at the sides of the corridore. The volume of our fire supressed them quite well, but it did not stop two fellow troopers near me from crashing to the floor as blaster bolts struck them squarely in the head and chest. Troopers Krailek and Gargin had joined the critical casualty list.

However, we were causing more casualties to them than they did to us. We took out another three rebels, before the remaining four suddenly dropped their blasters and dropped to their knees with their hands on their heads offering to surrender. At first we continued firing and killed two of the surrendering rebels, before receiving the order to cease fire. We detained the surviving rebels and took them to an assigned area in the ship where prisoners would be processed.

Shortly afterwards, order 1065L was replaced with a new order 3218L. This required us to cease offensive action and only react to enemy hostile activity. It looked like the battle was over. It had only lasted a few short minutes.

There had been running battles all over the ship. Both we and the rebels suffered casualties. We learned that my squad alone had suffered three dead. Brynnar, Thanos and Yanir would be entered into the archive of imperial fallen heros. Apart from that, our company as a whole suffered another nine dead, including Krailek and Gargin, and six critically injured. They were all troopers I knew personally. This was by far the most significant and costly engagement I had been involved in. However, despite our losses, it was also by far the most satisfying.

When we arrived at the prisoner drop-off point, Lord Vader was just completing the interrogation of a rebel officer from the captured vessel. Lord Vader was holding him up with one hand by the neck. I only just heard the rebel claim that the ship was on a diplomatic mission before Lord Vader crushed the man's neck and threw him to the side. I smiled to myself, my face hidden by my helmet, as the other rebel prisoners looked on in fear. Lord Vader would teach these traitors the cost of treason against the Empire

A moment later, our stormtrooper commander approached Lord Vader and told him that he had not been able to locate the plans. My mission objective did not mention recovering plans, so I wasn't sure what he was talking about. I presumed that the more senior officers had been given their own mission objectives during the operation. It is quite common for more senior NCOs and officers to receive orders that are not given to regular stormtroopers. That is why we never question the orders of our superiors. We do not know what special orders our commanding officers may have received that we regular troopers don't know about.

With the ship secured, we were instructed through order 8243D to search the ship and detain any remaining crew and passengers. Order 6932A(LO) was still in force. We split up in groups of five trooper. I was with squad leader Noremac and troopers Yalasa, Timor and Skeen. We were assigned to search the area around the escape pods.

It did not take long to find what we were looking for. Behind a bulkhead we saw the swish of a white robe. It looked like our mission would be over shortly. I didn't know it at the time, but I was about to meet the most terrifying, ruthless, insidious and deadly person in the galaxy.

I was about to come face to face with Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan.


	5. The Death of Noremac

CHAPTER 5 – THE DEATH OF NOREMAC

After catching a glimpse of Organa's white robe near the life-pods, we moved cautiously down the dimly lit narrow corridor of the rebel ship. Noremac was in the lead, followed by Skeen, myself, Yalasa and Timor.

Towards the end of the corridor, we could see that Organa was hiding behind a bulkhead only a few yards away. We had cornered her. There was nowhere for her to go.

As she looked round the edge of the bulkhead at us, we could see that she was holding a small sporting pistol. That was more or less the same as being unarmed as far as we were concerned. Then Noremac made the biggest mistake of his life. The last mistake he would ever make.

Personally, I would have immediately shot her with a stun blast and knocked her out there and then. But Noremac didn't shoot. He obviously didn't see her as a threat. Instead, he turned back towards us and spoke out loud in the generic male voice that is typically generated by all stormtrooper helmets.

"There she is. Set to stun."

I can understand why he did it. Firstly, he wanted to make sure that were all set to stun so that we didn't kill her and fail critical mission objective 6932A(LO). Of course, the instruction was unnecessary. We all knew we had to take her unharmed and were all set to stun anyway.

The other reason may have been that Noremac wanted to encourage Organa to surrender without resisting. It would have been a big boost to Noremac's reputation if he could capture Organa without stunning her. Lord Vader would want to speak to her as soon as possible. Stunning her would delay that. So capturing her conscious would have led to a commendation and possibly a promotion for Noremac. When Noremac ordered us to set our rifles to stun, he hoped Organa would realise that we didn't intend to kill her. It may have encouraged her to surrender without a fight.

Whatever, Noremac's reasons were for hesitating, it was a fatal mistake. Because when he turned back to face Organa, she quickly raised her sporting pistol and fired. The bolt hit Noremac full in the chest. He immediately collapsed to the floor and lay still.

My fellow trooper Skeen did not make the same mistake. Without hesitation, he immediately raised his rifle and fired, hitting Organa with an accurately aimed stun blast. Organa collapsed to the ground unconscious.

While Skeen informed command of the successful completion of the mission, Yalasa and Timor secured the unconscious Organa.

I checked Noremac. He was stone dead. It was a clean kill. The shot went right through his heart. And I have to admit it. It shocked me. Nomerac's death was the first to truly shock me since I became an imperial stormtrooper.

Of course, death and suffering in general do not shock me. I had seen a lot worse in my two years as an imperial stormtrooper. I had executed many traitors and criminals in my relatively short career. I had seen the aftermath of massacres and battles, where the maimed and badly injured cried out in pain in agony. I have witnessed scenes of real carnage where the broken bodies of males, females and children of all sorts of races were piled in the street after police actions or planetary bombardments. I have even seen the bodies of other imperial stormtroopers lying dead after cowardly rebel ambushes and atrocities. No death in itself, even that of a fellow trooper, could shock me.

Even the fact that Noremac had been my squad leader and a relatively close companion for the last two years didn't affect me. Just as the deaths of squad mates Brynnar, Thanos and Yanir during the boarding action from earlier didn't affect me. We all know that our fellow troopers will die. It is accepted and even expected. It is part of our philosophy to take casualties. By relentlessly advancing while our fellow troopers fall at our side, we show the enemy that we will not stop until we are dead or victorious. We know that such resilience in the face of heavy enemy fire will sap the morale and determination of all but the most resolute enemies.

The death of Nomerac in itself did not shocked me. What really shocked me was the fact that he had been killed with a sporting pistol. That simply should not have happened.

In fact, it should have been impossible. A sporting pistol is a very low powered weapon. It is principally used for competition shooting. Some affluent female humans like to keep them as a discreet side arm, ostensibly for self-defence. But in reality, they are regarded more as a fashion accessory. Many are not even loaded. At full power, they can do some damage to an unarmoured assailant, but they do not have the power to penetrate stormtrooper armour.

In some of our missions, we have occasionally been fired on by enemies with sporting pistols. Even at close range the bolts bounce off our armour. They are worse than useless because it just gives us an opportunity to blast the shooter with our rifle. Really, you would be better running away than firing a sporting pistol at us. You would have more chance of surviving.

Even if by some chance the bolt penetrates our armour, it should not have the power to cause any major injury. Anyone holding a sporting pistol should not be able to kill an armoured stormtrooper. Before that day, I had never heard of an imperial stormtrooper being injured, never mind killed, by a sporting pistol.

Then I came across Princess Lea Organa. When she shot Noremac, she not only succeeded in killing a fully armoured stormtrooper with a sporting pistol, but managed to kill him with a single shot. That was just unbelievable.

Noremac was one of the original clone troopers from the clone wars. He was the only original clone serving in our regiment. Unlike myself and some of my other fellow troopers, he had been involved in some major large scale battles over the last couple of decades. Originally, he fought against the separatists in the clone wars. Then he was involved in hunting the Jedi after the issue of order 66. In more recent years, he faithfully served the Empire against traitors and rebels. He had seen a lot of action, faced a lot of dangerous situations and received several wounds during his career both as a clone trooper and as an imperial stormtrooper.

In the end, we are all imperial stormtroopers and we will fall in the service of the Emperor one day, hopefully with honour and glory. Noremac would be entered in the archive of Imperial Heros. But he had not fallen in a great battle fighting hordes of rebel traitors in the glorious name of the Emperor. No. Noremac, a veteran stormtrooper who had served the Empire in countless missions, had been shot dead by a dainty female human ambassador in white gown with a sporting pistol. It really was an ignominious way to go out. In my view, it would have been more honourable to be killed in the fire fight when we boarded. At least that was a real battle against a determined enemy.

I didn't know how she did it. I didn't know how she managed to penetrate Noremac's armour and kill him outright with a sporting pistol. But Organa managed to do. She managed to hit him at just the right angle, and just at the right place, to penetrate his armour and send a bolt straight through his heart, killing him instantly.

I considered the reasons that may have contributed to Noremac's death. Perhaps Noremac's armour may have been weakened during the fire fight. Or perhaps he had received an injury that had weakened him, making him more susceptible to a fatal shot. Or perhaps Organa was just very lucky.

But I didn't believe any of that. When I looked at Organa slumped on the floor, I remember the look of determination and controlled hatred on her face when she shot him. It occurred to me what the real reason was.

The reason was simple. Organa was not simply a diplomat. She was no high-society lady concerned with the fashion of the day. She was no fancily dressed courtisan of the imperial court. She was a highly-trained cold-blooded killer. Not only that, but she was a trained killer who was specialised at killing imperial stormtroopers. I was sure of it. How else could she have killed Nomerac with one shot from a sporting pistol.

We stood guard over the unconscious body of Organa and the corpse of Noremac until the medical droid arrived with the hover-stretcher. The commander informed us through our in-built communicators that Skeen was to be our new squad leader, presumably because he was the one who stunned Organa.

When the medical droid arrived shortly after, accompanied by a squad of troopers, Timor and I lifted Organa onto the hover stretcher. Skeen ordered Yalasa and I to guard Noremac's body. Then Skeen and Timor, together with the other troopers, escorted the unconscious Organa and the medical droid away to the infirmary of the rebel ship where she would be revived.

Yalasa and I stood on guard in silence. It was important to secure the bodies of dead imperial troops, especially in potentially hostile environments. There could still be rebels hiding in the ship who may be tempted to steal his stormtrooper armour in the hope of evading detection.

Yalasa and I did not say anything to each other. We were on active duty in a hostile ship. So idle chat was not permitted by regulations. We just stood there on guard, alert and in silence until the recovery droid turned up with another hover-stretcher to take away Noremac's body. They would take him away, recycle his armour and shoot his remains out into space.

There were no ceremonies for fallen stormtroopers like those which other sections of the imperial military seemed to be so fond of. As far as we were concerned, once a trooper was dead, his physical body had served his purpose to the Emperor. His name would be entered into the archive of fallen Imperial Heros. That was honour enough.

We escorted the medical droid and stretcher to the exit of the rebel ship and handed over responsibility to a couple of unarmoured imperial guards from our Star Destroyer. That was the last we would see of Noremac. We then made our way to the medical quarters in the rebel ship where Organa was being held. Since our squad had captured her, we would have the honour of escorting the prisoner to Lord Vader. It would be a dubious honour.

When we arrived at the infirmary, we gave the required security code to the two troopers standing at the door and entered, letting the door slide closed behind us. The infirmary was empty except for Skeen and Timor, who were standing guard at the door, and the medical droid which was reviving Organa on one of the infirmary beds. Lord Vader wanted to speak to Organa, so we needed her conscious.

As Organa came to, Skeen ordered Yalasa and I to ensure her hands were properly bound and prepare her for transfer to Lord Vader.

As I checked Organa's bonds and pulled her up in an upright position, I got a strange feeling of unease. Normally, I would have been very proud to escort a successfully captured VIP prisoner to Lord Vader. But there was something about the look in Organa's eyes that made me very uncomfortable, almost nervous. It was a disagreeable sensation that I had not felt since I became a stormtrooper.

It would turn out later that I was justified to be wary of Organa. Very justified.


	6. Prisoner Transfer

CHAPTER 6 – PRISONER TRANSFER

As I checked Organa's bonds while she sat on the infirmary bed, I could feel her eyes almost bore into me through my helmet. I looked at her and could see the expression of scorn, hatred and contempt etched on her cold hard aristocratic features.

She was unlike any prisoners I have ever dealt with before. Most prisoners are docile and compliant. They either look terrified or have a blank expression on their faces. Either way, they do exactly as instructed, afraid that we may shoot or injure them at any time if they show any disobedience. Naturally, depending on the order received, death or injury could be a real possibility.

Some prisoners are defiant. Some rebel fanatics spit, swear and scream like wild beasts, throwing insults at us, the Empire and the Emperor. High ranked detainees sometimes threaten us with their position, influence and connections. Either way, we ignore them or punish them as instructed per our orders. As far as we are concerned, we are only accountable to the Emperor. Sometimes we end up shooting them if our orders permit or stipulate that reaction. That usually gave me great satisfaction. Anyone who insults the Emperor or his loyal servants is clearly a traitor and deserves to die.

But Organa was nothing like that. She was neither subdued nor aggressive. Yet an aura of defiance and hatred oozed from every pore of her body. It almost made me shudder. The only other person to have caused such a strong reaction from me was Lord Vader. But while the presence of Lord Vader filled me with strength, pride and resolve, Organa made me feel vulnerable and nervous. These were feelings of weakness that I had never felt before as a stormtrooper, even in the most difficult periods of duty and training.

"Let me guess." Organa said coldly, still staring directly at me through the eye sockets of my helmet. "It's an order four-three-A. Correct?"

I hesitated for moment, surprised by her response. She was right. We had been given order 3333A (LO). She smiled. Somehow she had noticed my hesitation. In response, I pulled the bond on her wrists slightly tighter.

"I thought so." She said, smirking up at me." Just don't forget the 'A' part."

I realised then Organa could be a real problem. If she somehow knew we were operating under order 3333A, then she could cause us real difficulties if she decided to be uncooperative.

Order 3333A was another unusual order. It was normally used for very important prisoners who had very critical information or who had great influence in the imperial government. The order not only required us to stop the prisoner from escaping, but to guard his or her safety with our life. In fact, we were not allowed to even hurt the prisoner beyond the odd push. Also, even stunning was seen as an undesirable course of action because the prisoner could injure himself or herself in the subsequent fall. The 'A' at the end of the order meant that the safety relating to Organa was of critical priority with no exceptions.

Of course, prisoners do not normally know our orders. But somehow Organa had guessed our order and knew what it meant. I wondered how Organa could know of stormtrooper orders. But then I realised she was in the imperial government. It occurred to me that she had probably studied us. Studied us to know her enemy. After all, she had known how to kill Noremac with a sporting pistol.

Of course, I didn't respond to Organa. We are forbidden to speak with prisoners except to give instructions and make threats where required.

"Get up!" Was all I said.

At first she just continued sitting on the bed, smirking contemptuously at me. Again, I hesitated for a moment. I was not used to dealing with a defiant enemy that I could not either shoot or man-handle in some way.

"Get up!" I heard the Yalasa say beside me.

Organa looked up at Yalasa, a broad smile on her face.

"You talk like a girl."

This time it was Yalasa who hesitated. Yalasa was one of the few female troopers serving as a stormtrooper. A relatively small number of females completed the rigorous stormtrooper training. They are treated just like the men. They wear the same clothes, wear the same armour, use the same facilities, sleep in the same barracks and have the same duties. In the stormtrooper corps there is no distinction between the sexes. There are only stormtroopers.

Like all of us, when Yalasa speaks through her helmet, her voice is electronically modified so that she sounds like a generic male. No one, except her closest fellow troopers, would know that she was female. But yet again, Organa somehow had guessed.

This time I decide to take control. I pulled Organa off the bed by her wrists and then pushed her towards the exit of the infirmary where Skeen and Timor were standing. Organa looked round at me, an expression of defiant hatred in her eyes. Yalasa also shoved her towards the door.

Organa looked round at Yalasa. "You push like a girl too."

"Get moving!" Instructed Yalasa, shoving Organa again towards the door.

"What's wrong with your girlfriend?" Organa looked round at me smirking. "Is she upset because she has not killed any unarmed prisoners or innocent civilians recently?"

Organa's taunts did not really affect me. I did not care what traitors like Organa had to say. Her insidious comments were irrelevant and unimportant. Also, I had never had any physical relationship with Yalasa. So when she used the word 'girlfriend', I assumed that it must have been as a reference to Yalasa's sex and not to my relationship with her.

But it was clear that her taunts had strongly provoked Yalasa. Yalasa stepped forward and shoved Organa in the back, this time even harder.

"Silence! Keep moving!"

Organa turned round to look at Yalasa again. "Or is it because I killed her boyfried back there?"

At that point, I started to get very concerned. I could see Yalasa was about to raise her blaster towards Organa. I was worried that Yalasa would act too strongly and injure the prisoner, causing us to fail the mission objective. I quickly moved to my right, interposing my body between Yalasa and Organa. I pushed Organa forward again.

"Keep going." I said firmly.

Organa looked back at both of us and smiled. Luckily, Yalasa took no further action. Organa didn't say anything more to her. Organa may have been happy to provoke Yalasa, but she clearly wasn't suicidal. This time she kept walking until she reached Timor and Skeen by the door. Organa looked at them.

"Four stormtroopers to guard me?" Said Organa looking at Skeen. "You bucket heads are braver than I thought." The sarcasm was clear in her voice.

Skeen and Timor ignored her. Skeen opened the door and walked out with Timor. I shoved Organa through the door behind them.

We walked down the corridor for a short while in square formation. Skeen and Timor were at the front, Yalasa and I behind, with Organa in the centre. For once Organa walked silently. At the time, I thought she might have calmed in the realisation that she would be taken to Lord Vader. I imagined she would be quaking with fear. I was wrong about that.

We turned a corner and Lord Vader walked out of a doorway to meet us. I breathed a sigh of relief that was hidden by my helmet. Normally, I would be delighted to be in Lord Vader's presence anyway, so that I could demonstrate my loyalty and worth to the Empire. But in this case, I also felt that his presence was actively helping me to resist the insidious influence that Organa seemed to have over Yalasa and I.

At last, Lord Vader would relieve us of this troublesome prisoner. I imagined that Lord Vader would strangle the life out of her like he had done with the rebel commander before. I was wrong about that too.

"Darth Vader." Organa looked up at him definitely. "Only you could be so bold."

I was taken aback when I heard that. I expected her to be begging for her life. But instead she scolded Lord Vader as if she was his superior. I expected Lord Vader to crush the life out of her there and then like the traitorous rebel filth that she was. But instead he let her continue.

"The Imperial Senate will not sit still for this." Organa continued lecturing Lord Vader. "When they hear you've attacked a diplomatic mission…"

I expected Lord Vader to choke her to death for her insolence. But instead, he calmly rebuked her. He told her that she was not on a mercy mission and that he knew that several transmissions were beamed to her ship. He wanted to know what happened to the plans. Organa denied all knowledge of the plans stating she was a member of the Imperial Senate and on diplomatic mission to Alderaan.

So now I knew that Lord Vader was looking for some secret plans which Organa had stolen. I realised why we had been given a four-three-A order. Organa knew where these plans were and Lord Vader wished to recover them. Apart from that, she was a member of the Imperial Senate and would thus benefit from some protection, at least initially.

I did not believe a word that Organa had said to Lord Vader about her diplomatic mission to Alderaan. She was full of lies and deceit. The Emperor always told us that the rebel leaders were manipulative and dishonest, exploiting the good will of the ordinary people to quench their own insatiable lust for power. My experience of Organa's hatred for the us as imperial servants and her insolence towards Lord Vader only proved how true the Emperor's warnings were.

Lord Vader didn't believe her either. "You are a rebel spy and a traitor. Take her away!" He said before striding away.

Following Lord Vader's order, we proceeded on our way towards the exit of the rebel ship. Yalasa shoved Organa to keep her moving. I was slightly stunned after Lord Vader's meeting with Organa. I had expected to be guarding a corpse for the recovery droid. Not escorting her to a detention cell on the Star Destroyer while still under a three-four-A order.

Once in the Star Destroyer, we entered a turbo lift. Squad leader Skeen was at the front beside Timor. Yalasa and I stood at the back behind Organa.

Since our encounter with lord Vader, Organa had not said a word. She had just walked with us in silence. I thought that Lord Vader's assertion that she was a rebel traitor had perhaps subdued her. It turned out I was wrong yet again. As we stood in lift, Organa leaned forward and cocked her head to one side to address Skeen who had his back to her.

"So Sergeant. Who was your father?" Organa asked Skeen, as though she already knew the answer. "Let me guess. Your father was an imperial fighter pilot. Am I correct?"

At that moment, I felt a shiver go down my spine. I knew that Skeen's father was indeed am imperial fighter pilot just like my father was. I wondered how she could know that. Skeen turned round to face her. Timor also turned to face her.

"Oh, don't look surprised, Sergeant." Continued Organa. "Many stormtroopers are told their fathers are pilots. Who die gloriously fighting for the galactic Empire. Am I wrong?"

I don't know why, but none of us said or did anything. Some may have taken it as stoic impassiveness which stormtroopers typically demonstrate when carrying out their duty. But that was not the case here. In reality, I felt like I was frozen in place by the sinister power of this monstrous women in the middle of us. We just let her speak.

"But you know what I think." She continued. "I think your parents were rebels and the Empire killed them. The Empire lied to you."

Despite my revulsion for what she said, it occurred to me that what she said may not be completely inaccurate. Many stormtroopers' fathers were fighter pilots. But I knew from over-hearing conversations among imperial scientists that some stormtroopers had been taken from executed rebel parents and were reconditioned to serve the Empire. To me is sounded like a just and ideal punishment for rebel traitors. To have their offspring fight for the Empire against the very treasonous ideas their parents had believed in.

I knew that my father was definitely a fighter pilot. I could remember him clearly and knew that he was definitely genuine. But it occurred me that it was possible other troopers could indeed be sons and daughters of rebel parents. Not that it mattered. We all served the Empire now, regardless of where we came from.

But it seemed to matter to Skeen. Because he turned round and lifted his blaster towards Organa, switching from stun to full power. I realised that things may get out of hand. So I put one hand on Organa's shoulder and pulled her away from Skeen.

"Enough!" I commanded. "Stay silent!"

Organa looked at my hand on her shoulder. Then she looked at me with a look of pure hatred in her eyes.

"I would keep a tight grip of that blaster with both hands, trooper." Organa sneered at me. "If I get hold of it, I can assure you I will blast all four of you in a heartbeat. And I won't have it set to stun."

I pulled my hand away from her and gripped my blaster with both hands. I found myself pointing my blaster at Organa. Beside me, I heard Yalasa raise her blaster towards Organa and reset it to full power. I realised things were rapidly getting out of control and became very concerned that we could fail the mission objective.

There we were in the turbo lift. Three of us had our blasters trained on Organa and set to kill. Only Timor stood impassively in the guard position. The situation was very tense.

Although I had my blaster trained on Organa, I was actually ready to shoot Skeen or Yalasa should either of them make a move to press the trigger. The mission objective of order 3333A was to protect the prisoner at all costs against all threats, even our own troops.

In normal circumstances, Skeen could countermand any order given to us since he was our direct commanding officer. In principle, we always obeyed orders from our direct superior officers and NCOs as they may have received special instructions that we did not know about. This included accepting any actions taken by them, even if they contradicted our own orders. So if our squad leader killed a prisoner, under normal circumstances we would assume he had the authority or instruction to do so even if it was not consistent with our own orders.

However, order 3333A was a special case. It cannot be countermanded by anyone except the officer who gave it, who in this case was Lord Vader. So if Skeen tried to kill Organa, I would be required by order 3333A to kill him. The same went for Yalasa.

Worried that there could be a firefight in the turbolift that could result in the failure of the mission objective, I took a deep breath and muttered a short oath to the Emperor. That helped me regain my composure. I reset my blaster to stun.

"Enough!" I said firmly. "If you say one more word senator Organa, we will stun you."

Organa looked deeply into my helmet eye sockets as I continued to train my blaster on her. She smiled slyly and turned away. I can only assume that she had obviously realised I was being deadly serious when I told her I would stun her.

We all stood there for a few seconds in awkward silence, although it seemed a lot longer. To my relief, after the brief pause, I heard Yalasa and Skeen reset their weapons to stun and move their weapons back into the guard position.

I lowered my weapon to the guard position and everyone returned to the usual escort formation. Shortly afterwards, the lift door opened and we all walked in silence towards the detention blocks. Soon we were able to hand over Organa to the guards in the detention area.

We walked back towards our barracks in silence. We had been given new orders. We had been ordered down to the surface of Tatooine. We had been given a short time to recuperate and prepare.

As I walked back, I wondered how Organa had known so much and was able to provoke us, despite our conditioning. I assumed that she had learned stormtrooper protocols, training and organisation. That could explain some of her knowledge. But it didn't explain everything. I wondered if she had special powers, perhaps like the Jedi. Of course, the Emperor had told us that the Jedi had been eliminated, so she couldn't have been using Jedi powers.

In the end, I reflected that it wouldn't matter. I was sure it would not be long before she was terminated. Until the, she would be detained in an Imperial Star Destroyer with no hope of rescue or release. I was just glad I would probably never see Organa ever again.

* * *

_***HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL AND TOP SECRET**_

_IMPERIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SECTION_

_REVIEW OF JOURNAL - TROOPER LC-9087_

_The subject's representation suggests that Senator Leia Organa has top secret information related to the training, conditioning, equipment and orders of our stormtroopers. The fact she has access to this information suggests she is indeed a rebel spy as Lord Vader has asserted._

_It is not clear how Organa managed to successfully guess the troop orders, the sex of trooper RC-5342 (aka Yalasa) and the given career of the father of trooper NR-7054 (aka Skeen). This may result from an educated guess from senator Organa's illegal knowledge of stormtrooper protocol and background._

_On the other hand, it may also indicate that Senator Organa may have some latent psychic power which can influence and read weaker minds. The abilities are consistent with those available to the Jedi in the era of the Old Republic. However, given that senator Organa is likely to be terminated in the near future, it may be best to keep such information confidential, even from the highest imperial authorities. Divulging such theories may attract unwanted attention and interference which may negatively impact on our valuable contribution to the Empire._

_It is recommended that the greater security measures should be taken when dealing with senator Organa in case she uses the same latent abilities to influence other members of imperial security forces. __With that in mind, I recommend that we the assign the same troopers to guard the Senator after they complete their current mission on Tatooine. Their experience and animosity towards senator Organa should give them increased resistance to any abilities the senator may have._


	7. Recuperation

CHAPTER 7 – RECUPERATION

After handing over custody of Organa to the guards in the detention block, we made our way to the area of the ship reserved for stormtrooper quarters and support services.

Each Star Destroyer has a self-contained area for the exclusive use of stormtroopers. It is kept separate from the rest of the crew and is off-limits to most ship personnel except those who have specific authority to enter. It has everything we need. It has mess areas for officers and troopers, training areas, sleeping quarters, an infirmary and medical area, briefing areas, communication rooms, an armoury, work stations and hygiene facilities.

The first place we went to was the armory to drop off our weapons. Then we went to the infirmary where any wounds we received would be assessed and treated by medical droids. The infirmary was relatively quiet when the four of us entered. In the changing area, we stripped off our armour and the black jump suit we wore underneath until we were completely naked. Then we presented ourselves to the droids in the assessment where we were to be assigned a priority for our injuries.

Since there was no one else waiting we were all seen to right away. The infirmary is quite large and can permit up to twenty troopers to be attended to at one time. There are also beds for troopers who had been badly injured. A few of these beds were occupied by troopers who had received serious wounds during the Tantive mission.

The droids inspected our injuries. Stormtroopers are hit more than people realise during fire fights and engagements with the enemy. Just because we don't go down, does not mean that we do not get hit. It is just that our armour absorbs much of the damage. Most injuries are bruises, cuts, blaster burns and even the odd broken bone caused when we are knocked over or hit by blaster fire.

Most of the time, we are hit by glancing blows or ricochets. Mostly this usually causes minor cuts, bruises or burns that can be treated quite easily. But sometimes the injury can be more serious if our armour is penetrated or we are knocked hard to the ground or against a wall.

Considering that we had been the target of accurate rebel blaster fire during the Tantive boarding, it was no surprise that all four of us had received couple of light injuries during the operation.

A bad gash on the left side of my abdomen and burn on my right thigh were the worst of my injuries. Not too bad for being near the front. Yalasa had received a couple of burns on the right shoulder and left arm. Skeen had a bad gash on his forehead. Timor had received only a few light bruises all round his body. I assumed that was because he had not been in the thick of the fighting like the rest of us were.

None of the wounds were serious. So the droids treated them and patched them up quickly. That was fortunate as we were due to go down to the planet Tatooine to serve under Lord Vader and none of us wanted to miss that mission due to injury.

During this time, troopers returning from missions would often chat freely in the infirmary. We were regarded as off-duty and were in the stormtrooper area of the ship. So there was no regulation prohibiting us from speaking to each other. But we didn't speak today.

I just sat in silence as the droid tended to me. Yalasa sat close by with an expression of what seemed barely contained fury on her face. She wasn't normally like that. She was normally a calm girl. But today, she looked like she was about to explode.

Skeen just sat there at the other side of the infirmary with a blank expression on his face. Only Timor was his usual self, babbling a lot of trivial nonsense as usual. Luckily he was at the other end of the infirmary with Skeen, so I didn't have to put up with his mindless drivel.

After our treatment, we were sent to the changing area where we were given fresh black jumpsuits. As we got dressed, more troopers started to filter in for assessment. After putting on our jump suits, we headed towards the troopers mess area. We had been given three standard imperial hours before we would be shipped down to Tatooine. We were ordered to get something to eat and then get some rest if we could.

We were the first to enter the trooper mess area. It is a cramped rectangular room with two long metal tables, a tray dispenser and a tray disposal unit. All troopers obtain their food by waving their ID over the scanner at the tray dispenser unit. Each trooper is then given a specific tray of food that he or she is required to finish.

There are specific regulations relating to the ingestion of food. Each tray of food looks the same, containing what looks like a dollop of coloured puree and a slab of what could be some sort of meat. It is forbidden to share food with other troopers. Although the food looks the same for all troopers, we understand from rumours that each trooper's plate has been especially treated with drugs and additives to maximise his or her performance. Sharing food or not finishing a meal can result in a strict reprimand.

I sat right beside the wall opposite Yalasa who still had that expression of contained fury and hatred on her face. Timor sat beside Yalasa. Skeen did not even turn up. I had no idea where he was.

Normally, I would not eat with Yalasa and Timor. I preferred to eat with Noremac, Brynnar and Thanos. But they were dead now. Killed in the Tantive boarding. I have to admit that I missed them.

During meal times, Noremac would normally compare our latest mission with previous missions he had taken part in throughout his long career. Thanos used to actively discuss with Noremac what tactics or orders would have been best for each mission. Or they used to discuss tactical options for hypothetical missions. I enjoyed taking part in these conversations with Noremac and Thanos. They were often heated discussions, but always respectful, satisfying and informative.

Brynnar always used to make comments about the food. Usually derogatory comments of course. Brynnar's father was a chef on his home planet and he couldn't help comparing our stormtrooper rations to the finest dishes in the Empire. I always found it quite amusing when he described how he would have flavoured or presented the food if he was in charge of our stormtrooper kitchen area. He used to say the puree was like mush and the meat was like a brick. I thought it was a bit harsh. I personally find our rations to taste quite reasonable.

Thinking of my fallen fellow troopers made me realise how much that fanatical rebel bitch Organa had taken from us. She had forced the men on her ship to fight a pointless suicidal battle against us for the sake of some plans that could not possibly harm the Empire in any significant way. And for that reason, some good loyal soldiers of the Empire had lost their lives. It made me wonder what else Organa would sacrifice for her deluded fanatical beliefs. I really hoped that Lord Vader would terminate her as soon as possible. That woman was ruthless and dangerous. The galaxy would really be a better and safer place if she was no longer alive.

Of course, I did not mourn my fellow fallen troopers. They had died doing their duty. And that is the most honourable fate one can have in serving the Emperor. But I would miss their presence and the contribution they made to our unit and the Empire. If nothing else it made me realise that we must fight harder and better to prevent rebels and traitors from murdering loyal imperial servants.

My own reflections were unfortunately broken by the unwelcome sound of Timor's voice. Timor regards himself as the company joker. I don't find him amusing most times. For me, looking at Yalasa's hate filled face across the table would be funnier than listening to Timor. And I assure you. Looking at Yalasa's scowling features that day was definately not funny at all.

"Can you believe it?" Cried Timor. "How did Organa kill Noremac with that sporting pistol?"

With that comment, Yalasa sat bolt upright and glared right at me. I could see her knuckles go white as she gripped her cutlery hard. And I could see the anger and hatred boiling in her eyes. Not hatred for me of course. It was hatred for the rebellion and Organa. And possibly also for Timor at that moment. I wondered what Yalasa thought about the death of Noremac. I know that they had had physical relations a couple of times. I wondered if that had something to do with her reaction.

Many people in the Empire believe that stormtroopers are celibate and are not permitted any sexual contact. Some impertinent people even call us the maidens of the Emperor. However, that belief is not true. There is no blanket ban on sexual contact. We have many regulations forbidding sexual contact in most circumstances. For example, sexual contact is forbidden during and before missions, in public locations, during and before training, when injured, etc. However, there may be a few rare occasions when two troopers could have sexual relations without breaking any regulations. It is difficult to find such moments, but not impossible. In saying that, one thing that is certain is that such liaisons are impossible to plan in advance. Our duty rosters and living conditions just don't allow for forward planning. Thus, everything must be spontaneous when the opportunity presents itself.

Some of us liked to speculate why Yalasa went with Noremac. We came to the conclusion that it was because he was one of the original clones and an experienced trooper. We suspected that it made Yalasa feel that she was closer to being a pure warrior. Perhaps she thought it make her a better trooper. But I was sure that she didn't have any real emotional attachment to Noremac as that would be against regulations. Emotional attachment between troopers is strictly prohibited. Yalasa would know that.

I personally appreciated Noremac as a squad leader. So I wasn't amused by Timor's comment about him. I found Noremac to be a good leader who tried to employ tactics that reduced losses for both ourselves and the enemy, even if I never understood his concern for the latter. I found it ironic that Noremac's compassion for the enemy had probably caused his own death.

By this time, more troopers dressed in their black jumpsuits began to take their seats along out table. I didn't think things could get any worse with Yalasa. But they did.

"Hey, Yalasa." Said Timor, clearly for the benefit of the newly arrived troopers. "How did Organa realise you were a girl?"

Some of the troopers laughed. I said nothing. Yalasa didn't find it amusing. She turned her head and glared at Timor with that same look of hatred on her face. Timor just laughed.

"Oh come on, Yalasa. What's wrong?" He mocked. "I haven't seen you look like this since that girl shoved you down that empty ray shaft. Remember. It took us two hours to get you out."

The other troopers laughed. I have to admit, I couldn't help chuckling at that too. I remembered that mission well. It was the only time I had been in the Death Star. Plus, I interacted briefly with one of our great admirals after carrying out the mission. That was a memorable day.

Yalasa didn't find it funny. She glared at Timor and me in turn with an ugly scowl on her face.

"Who was the girl?" Asked Jensen, sitting beside me.

"It was Admiral Motti's sister." I replied. "Jentessa Motti."

"So, Yalasa." Grinned Timor. "Please describe how a dainty aristocratic lady was able to shove one of the Empires finest elite imperial stormtrooper down a ray shaft. I'm sure everyone would like to know so we can avoid such an incident in the future."

All the troopers at the table laughed again. Even I smiled. But Yalasa was furious. For a moment, she glared at me with uncontained fury in her eyes. Then she slammed her knife in the last piece of meat remaining on her plate, shoved her seat back with a screech and stormed out of the room. She had slammed the knife so hard in the meat that it was still quivering well after she was gone.

"Oh dear. It looks like the little lady has gotten all emotional." Joked Timor to the laughs of the other troopers. Even the two female troopers sitting at the other end of the table laughed.

I didn't laugh at that. But I did shrug. I actually partly agreed with Timor's view. I didn't think that women should be stormtroopers. I did not doubt their loyalty or dedication to the Empire. My mother was one of the most loyal imperial subjects in the galaxy. But women were too fragile. They were just not as naturally strong, aggressive or emotionally disciplined as men.

However, I was an imperial stormtrooper. I served with whomever I was ordered to and gave my respect to my fellow troopers regardless of their sex. With that in mind, I finished my meal quickly and got up.

"Don't touch that!" I said pointing to Yalasa's tray. "She will be returning to finish it."

I walked the short distance to our cramped sleeping quarters where I found Yalasa lying on her bunk, alone and in silence.

"Trooper." I addressed her. "I wish to speak to you."

Normally, when off-duty I would address a trooper by his or her given name. But since I wanted to speak to Yalasa about a matter of regulation, I addressed her by her rank. It also forced her to respond. Yalasa sat up on her bunk and glared at me.

"What do you want…Trooper?" Yalasa put a lot of emphasis on the last word.

I recommended to her that she should return to the mess and finish her meal. She responded that I was not her commanding officer and had no right to give her orders. I acknowledged that I could not give her orders. But I reminded her that if she did not finish her meal, she could be reprimanded for breaching regulations and that could result in her missing the Tatooine mission with Lord Vader.

Although Yalasa currently treated me with contempt, I did not want her to miss the Tatooine mission. I recognised that she was loyal and devoted soldier of the Empire. During the Tantive IV mission, I saw that she was a very effective trooper who served the Emperor and her unit with dedication and courage. I believed that I could depend on her as a fellow trooper. I wanted her beside me if I was to face another firefight. Not sitting in the brig up here in the Star Destroyer.

She continued glaring at me. But reluctantly she got up and walked out of the door. I knew she would not want miss the mission led by Lord Vader. None of us would.

I followed her to the mess. When I arrived, Yalasa was already standing beside her place at the table. The other troopers had lost interest in her and were now involved in other conversations. Yalasa picked up the knife with the last piece of meat attached to it. She turned and looked at me contemptuously.

"There was no need for you to follow me, trooper." She sneered.

"I just want to ensure that I can act as a witness to confirm that you returned and finished your meal, trooper." I replied.

Yalasa responded by stuffing the whole piece of meat into her mouth and swallowing it whole. "Are you satisfied now, trooper?"

I shrugged my shoulders, turned and walked out of the mess. Even from the corridor, I heard the loud crash as Yalasa slammed her tray violently into the tray disposal unit. Yalasa was no longer my concern.

I returned to the sleeping quarters and lay down on my bunk. It had been a very tiring day and I would only get two hours rest before shipping down to Tatooine. I really needed to rest.

* * *

_IMPERIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SECTION_

_REVIEW OF JOURNAL – TROOPER LC-9087_

_The subject has indicated that trooper NR-7054 (aka Skeen) did not go the mess before the Tatooine mission. An investigation should be carried out to determine if the trooper breached regulations._

_It is also recommended that we should consider including more emotional balancing drugs in the rations of trooper RC-5342 (aka Yalasa) to calm her agitated state. However, there is no urgency for a psychological review. Evidence suggests that her conditioning is holding in place._

* * *

**WRITER'S NOTE**

**The incident where Yalasa is pushed down the ray shaft is mentioned in a one-shot story called "Family Ties" by the author "ladyofdarkstar". I have used the incident and the name of the story protagonist, Jentessa Motti, with the permission of the author.**

**The story should be considered a prequel of this story. It also features the stormtrooper protagonist of this story.**

**Family Ties is very entertaining and I have no hesitation in recommending it. It is a a fantastic story and well worth the read.**


	8. Deployment to Tatooine

CHAPTER 8 – DEPLOYMENT TO TATOOINE

After a short rest in the sleeping quarters, all the troopers from our platoon reported to the armoury where we picked up our weapons and armour. I felt fresh and ready for action. I presumed that our support staff had put stimulants in our meal to keep us active for the next mission.

As usual we were all issued with a standard E-11 blaster rifle and standard white stormtrooper armour. The armour had already been modified for the hot and dry conditions on the desert planet of Tatooine. It was a good thing the armour was mostly white, as it would partially deflect the harsh Tatooine sunlight. We were also given a back-pack that contained additional rations and supplies that would allow us to operate a few days autonomously in the desert. The shuttles would resupply us every couple of days. But there may be times when the shuttle would not be with us once we started to search the area around the escape-pod.

In the Star Destroyer hangar, we stood silently at attention in front of the two Lamda-class T-4a shuttles that would take us down to the surface. Our whole platoon of 38 troopers would go down to the surface, 19 troopers in each shuttle.

During the boarding of the Tantive IV, we had lost some casualties, so our ranks were replenished from another company. The newcomers were troopers I didn't know very well. Our company structure was reorganised to cover our losses. The troopers I knew best were in the 9-man squad to which I was assigned. Skeen, Timor, Yalasa and I were there. Skeen was squad leader, while we were also joined by Corporal Jensen. Jensen was a regular companion of Timor during meals and leisure time. He had laughed with the others when Timor had joked about Yalasa in the mess after the Tantive mission.

We stood silently in ranks of four deep, waiting for our commissioned officers to arrive. Soon Commander Praji and our company captain turned up to brief Lieutenant Denlin on the mission. Both Commander Praji and the Captain were wearing the grey uniform of an imperial officer, while Lieutenant Denlin wore stormtrooper armour. They stood close to me as they talked, so I heard clearly everything they said about the mission. Although Lord Vader was not in the hangar bay, I was pleased to hear them say that he would come down to the planet surface to personally inspect our progress. That meant that Lord Vader would personally be able to see how dedicated we were in completing our mission objectives and securing ultimate victory for the Empire and the Emperor.

Commander Praji explained to the Captain and Lieutenant that we were to attack and secure a camp occupied by Tuskens near the area where the escape-pod had landed in the desert. The Tuskens are primitive humanoid nomadic inhabitants of Tatooine. They are also known as Sand People, but we officially refer to them as Tuskens.

Our platoon would carry out the attack on the Tuskens. Then we would go to the landing site of the escape-pod to search for the plans. There was already a small stormtrooper garrison on Tatooine. But they were too far away from the landing zone to search for the plans effectively. So we were tasked with the main search operations.

I found it curious that we were attacking the Tuskens. I had heard rumours from Noremac and other troopers that Lord Vader often ordered punitive raids against Tusken camps, sometimes for no apparent reason. However, from what my fellow troopers had told me, such punitive raids were not standard imperial policy. Most imperial officers on Tatooine were generally inclined to ignore the Tuskens or negotiate with them if the Empire could use their assistance. The Empire even used the Tuskens as guides, scouts and mercenaries on occasions. So it seemed that the Empire only carried out punitive attacks on the Tuskens when Lord Vader was in command. I have to admit, I wondered why Lord Vader wished to attack the Tuskens. Whatever his reasons were, I have no doubt they were justified and had benefited the Empire.

However, as Commander Praji continued his briefing, it became evident that there was a strategic reason for attacking the Tuskens. Our assault on the Tuskens had two principle objectives. The first objective was to capture the Tusken camp and their herds of domesticated dewbacks and banthas. We would use the dewbacks and banthas as steeds and pack animals which would allow us to move across the desert quicker and easier as we searched the area round the escape-pod. From the captured camp, we would also take various Tusken items, belongings and weapons. We would leave the Tusken items and weapons strewn about any location which we needed to attack. In that way, the Tuskens would get the blame for any raids we carried out against the local populace during our search operations.

The second objective was to provoke the Tuskens into making raids themselves. After our attack, the Tuskens would likely carry out violent raids on travellers, moisture farmers and settlements to take revenge for the attack on their camp. This would have two further indirect effects. Firstly, it would cover any action we had to take ourselves, as the locals would again have reason to blame the Tuskens for any attacks we carried out. Secondly, the local populace would ask for imperial assistance to defend them from the Tuskens. This would not only provide us with increased cooperation from the locals in our search for the plans, but would give us a legitimate reason for increasing stormtrooper numbers in the area. Not that the latter point seemed that important to me. As far as I was concerned, stormtroopers could go anywhere the Emperor desired.

Commander Paji and the Captain left the hangar and we were ordered to commence the mission. We entered the shuttle, took our seats and put on the restraints. I noticed there was a medical droid in the back of our shuttle. It was standard imperial practice to take along a medical droid for offensive operations. We were not expected to take casualties in this operation as we would be dealing with poorly armed natives who we would take by surprise. But there was always a possibility of injury in a hostile planet like Tatooine where there were large predators, pirates and even rebel sympathisers. So there was always a remote chance of a confrontation with a dangerous enemy.

Once the shuttle took off and was heading to the planet, Sergeant-Major Kalida briefed us on our mission. The orders we received were 1314K-0855H.

Order 1314K was a standard punitive raid. This involved a lightening frontal attack with deadly force against the camp. We were required to kill all members of the population within the zone of the camp regardless of sex or age. However, it was not an extermination order. We were not expected to kill everyone, nor required to pursue the enemy once they had fled the perimeter. In fact, the intention was to allow some survivors to escape so that they could inform their brethren of the attack.

Order 0855H was a capture order. It required us to capture any dewbacks and banthas we found in the target area. We were of course required to neutralise any resistance that may oppose us.

We noted that the priority of the orders was relatively low. The priority of a trooper's life was set at priority D. So we were not expected to put our lives in unnecessary danger or fight to the death to obtain the mission objective. So if we found that the camp had overwhelming numbers of hostile Tuskens, a very large and dangerous predator or an army of well-armed rebels, the order permitted us to make an orderly withdraw from the area if commanded to do so by the officers in charge.

In this particular mission, the Empire regarded the life a stormtrooper as worth more than the mission objective. This is not because the Empire was concerned with the lives of individual stormtroopers. We are categorically told by our senior officers that stormtrooper lives are completely expendable in service of the Empire. We stormtroopers accept and expect this. We are devoted to the Emperor and would gladly die in his service. However, we are still an asset representing years of training and experience that should not be wasted unnecessary. Some officers in the Empire understand this fact and strive to ensure that our lives are not wasted frivolously. A live trooper can serve the Empire better than a dead one.

Our platoon was split into two parts. Squad A and B in shuttle 1 would attack the main Tusken camp. Squads C and D in shuttle 2 would secure the herd of dewbacks. Although the squads were given specific areas of operation, both orders 1314K and 0855H applied to all a squads taking part in the operation.

We were in squad A and thus would be in the vanguard attacking the camp. This was more dangerous, but also gave us the opportunity to use our skills as stormtroopers in service of the Emperor. I was proud to be assigned to the vanguard in the most dangerous combat zone, especially as Lord Vader would personally be present to witness our successful completion of the operation.

We landed a short distance from the camp and exited the shuttle. The other shuttle was not to be seen as it had landed in a different location. It was still dark, but dawn was about to break. The plan was that we would march the short distance to the camp and attack just before sunrise when the Tuskens would still be in their beds. We left our back-packs and the medical droid in the shuttle. After the attack, the shuttle would move in beside the camp so we could use it as a temporary storage area and med-bay if required.

Sergeant-Major Kalida informed us that central command did not expect there to be many Tuskens guarding the camp. The Tuskens had apparently been quite peaceful in recent times. There had been no reports of raids and the Tuskens were not fighting among themselves for the time-being. In addition, the camp was in a relatively isolated area which was not populated by dangerous predators. So there was no reason for them to be over-vigilant. We expected surprise to be almost complete.

When we arrived, the first light of dawn was just breaking. The camp was located in an area of flat ground that was sheltered to one side by some low rock cliffs. The camp consisted of a number of tents made of animal hide. There had been no attempt to build defences of any sort suggesting that the Tuskens did not feel threatened in this location.

The 19 combat troops of squads A and B walked over the open ground towards the camp without making any attempt to hide our presence. There were only four Tusken guards sitting by a small fire just outside the entrance to the camp. When they saw us, they stood up and looked at us warily. At least, I think they were looking at us warily. It is hard to tell with their bizarre alien features.

Each of the Tuskens held a long rifle, but they did not have them pointed at us. We continued to walk towards them calmly, our rifles held across our chests. The Tuskens did not seem to think we were going to attack. After all, they had not raided anyone recently and probably thought we had come to talk with them. Perhaps to trade or ask for information. They thought we came in peace.

They were wrong.


	9. Tusken Raiders

**Author's note and warning: This is where the M rating really comes into play. This chapter is very dark. The scene is a description of a stormtrooper raid on a Tusken camp, so there is a lot of death and violence, although nothing gory or what I would call graphic. There is also some heavy swearing. But I believe it is in context.**

CHAPTER 9 – TUSKEN RAIDERS

We walked at a casual pace towards the four Tusken guards with our blasters held across our chests so as not to raise too much suspicion. I was at the front with squad A beside Corporal Jensen, Timor and Yalasa. When we got to within a few yards of the Tuskens, we raised our blasters and opened fire. The four Tuskans stood no chance. We mowed them down in a couple of seconds as each of them was struck by several blaster bolts.

We trotted past their bodies, blasting their bodies few more times to make sure they were dead. We didn't want hostiles hitting us from the rear. From the north we heard more blaster fire as squads C and D started their attack on the Tuskens guarding the dewback and bantha herds.

I paired up with Yalasa and we approached the first tent on the left flank beside the cliff face. We opened up with blaster fire against the outside of the tent, filling it with holes. The rest of squad A opened fire on the other tents nearest to the camp entrance. Squad B followed behind us with the intention of mopping up anything we missed and ensuring we were not attacked from the flank or rear.

Yalasa and I burst into the opening of the tent. What looked to be a male Tusken lying wounded on the floor raised his arm and shot at me with what looked like some sort of projectile pistol. The round bounced harmlessly off my armour giving me time to send three blaster bolts into his body. In the meantime, Yalasa finished off the other occupants of the tent.

We exited the tent to find that the camp was in panic. Tuskens were running everywhere in terror to escape from the withering fire of our troopers. From the next tent I saw a Tusken warrior rush out of the entrance. Yalasa and I blasted him at the same time causing his body to be propelled back against the side of the tent like a ragged doll.

I saw the small shapes of two Tusken young scramble out from the back of the tent. I decided not to fire at them and I let them run. They were legitimate targets according to order 1314K. But with Tuscan warriors starting to come out of the tents, I decided that there were more dangerous targets to concentrate on. Both Yalasa and I blasted the tent from where the two young had escaped, riddling it with holes. Then we rushed in to find the bodies of four adult Tuskens spawled on the ground. We blasted their prone bodies to ensure they were dead before leaving the tent.

Now that we had caught the Tusken's attention, out tactics changed slightly. Yalasa and I placed ourselves beside Timor and Jensen. We walked forward slowly sending a steady stream of blaster fire into the fleeing Tuskens. Many of the male Tusken warriors tried to charge us with melee weapons. We just shot them dead before they got within a few yards. I didn't believe that their melee weapons could penetrate out armour. But I wasn't going to let them get close enough to find out if I was right or not.

Some Tuskens tried to shoot at us with their primitive blasters or projectile firearms. But their aim was too poor or the power of their weapons too weak. So they often missed or the round was absorbed by our armour. We then just blasted them, ending their vain attempt to resist.

Despite our superiority in firepower, armour and weaponry, the Tuskens fought back ferociously against us. Although they did not manage to cause us any casualties, their resistance probably saved many of their female and young. We had to concentrate our fire on the warriors attacking us, allowing many of the non-combatants to escape.

We advanced steadily shooting constantly from the hip, mowing down any Tuskens who tried to oppose us or who did not flee. Squad B walked behind us, taking care of any stragglers and making sure than any Tuskens on the ground were dead. We were told that the Tuskens could play dead, so it was best to not take chances.

After only a couple of minutes, it was all over. The only Tuskens in the camp were dead, hiding or wounded. The survivors were fleeing in panic across the desert sands. We reached the end of the designated area of operation. We sent a few unaimed blaster rounds after the fleeing Tuskens to keep them running. A couple of fleeing Tuskens were hit, but the majority ran into the desert wilderness unharmed.

Behind us we could now only hear the sound of single blaster rounds as squad B searched the tents and cleared up any remaining Tuskens who may be wounded, playing dead or hiding. As stipulated by order 1314K, no prisoners were to be taken.

After the last of the fleeing Tuskens disappeared in the distance, we stood alert at the edge of the camp and waited for orders. We saw squad B in the centre of the camp come under sporadic rifle fire from the cliff tops. Squad B returned fire. But it was only when shuttle 2 took to the air and blasted the assailants with laser canon fire that the attack was finally silenced. Squad B suffered no casualties from the attack.

With all resistance neutralized, we waited in silence for further orders. We could feel the heat of Tatooine's dual suns, even in our protective Stormtrooper armour. In only a few minutes, we had captured the Tusken camp and dewback herd with zero casulaties. Dozens of dead Tuskens of all ages and and both sexes littered the ground.

We expected that to be the end of the mission. But Skeen called over Jensen to give him further orders. Skeen had seen a lone dewback standing about 50 meters from the perimeter of the operational area. Skeen ordered Jensen to capture the dewback and bring it back.

Jensen ordered Timor, Yalasa and I to go with him. When we reached the area, Jensen ordered Yalasa and I to secure in the dewback. In the meantime, Jensen and Timor stood beside a few low rocks a few meters from us. I suspected they were probably talking with each other about the mission.

Just as Yalasa and I put the harness on the dewback, all hell suddently broke loose. We found that the the brown shapes lying on the ground near to Jensen and Timor were not rocks. They were Tusken warriors hidden under their brown cloaks. It was an ambush. Suddenly about a dozen or so Tuskens rose from the ground and charged towards Jensen and Timor.

Jensen stood no chance. He was assaulted by four Tuskens at once. They hit him with the blunt edges of their staffs knocking him off his feet before he could react. Then three of them plunged the sharp point of their staffs into Jensens prone body and I heard the sharp crack as they penetrated his armour. Jensen lay still with three Tusken staffs protruding from his armoured body.

Timor only faired a little better. The Tuskens charging him were not so coordinated. He managed to get of a blaster round felling one of the attacking Tuskens. But the next Tusken struck him with the end of his staff, causing Timor to drop his blaster and fall back to the ground. Timor scrambled back away in an attempt to escape. But the Tusken brought the point of his staff down hard, penetrating Timor's armour in the shoulder area.

Yalasa and I reacted the best we could. We were still occupied with harnessing the dewback when the attack commenced and did not have our blasters at the ready. By the time we grabbed our blasters, Jensen was already dead and Timor was wounded and in danger of being killed.

Since order 0855H to capture the dewback had a lower priority code than saving a troopers life, we abandoned the dewback and moved to engage the attacking Tuskens with blasters at the ready.

Apart from the assault on Jensen, the Tusken attack was not very well coordinated. Instead of charging all at once to overwhelm us, they attacked in dispersed groups allowing us time to deal with them individually.

I advanced steadily towards the Tuskens around Jensen and fired from the hip with my blaster. They tried to charged towards me but I blasted all four before they could get near me. I moved forward towards Jensen's body and blasted a couple more who charged in.

Yalasa advanced towards Timor and blasted the Tusken who were threatening to kill him. Yalasa reached Timor before I reached Jensen. Yalasa stood over the wounded Timor and blasted another group of Tuskens who charged towards her. One of the attacking Tuskens managed to pick up Timor's blaster and fired a blaster round at Yalasa, hitting her helmet. Luckily the blaster round only struck her a glancing blow and did not put her out of action. Yalasa simply turned her blaster on the Tusken and sent two blaster rounds into him sending him flying back dead.

Another Tusken managed to reach her and attempted to strike her with his staff. Yalasa parried the blow with her rifle, before striking him with the rifle-butt and sending the Tusken flying back. She then blasted the Tusken on the ground before he could get up.

I reached Jensen's body. The remaining assailants were focused on Yalasa who was still resolutely defending Timor's body. A handful of Tuskens charged her. She stood her ground and blasted away at them. She did not retreat one inch.

If Yalasa had been alone, I suspect that the remaining Tuskens would have overwhelmed her and the helpless Timor. However, since I was facing no immediate threat myself, I was able to turn my blaster on Yalasa's assailants. With our combined firepower, together we caught the remaining Tuskens in a cross-fire and finished them off before they could do more damage.

After firing a few rounds into the bodies of the Tuskens lying around us to ensure they were dead, Yalasa and I stood over Jensen and Timor in a state of extreme alert studying the area around us and looking for signs of further attack. None came.

A couple of minutes later, Skeen ran over with the rest of Squad A to secure the area. He found Yalasa and I standing beside Jensen and Timor with about a dozen or so Tuskens lying around us. The dewback was still standing where we found it.

I checked Jensen. He was dead. He had three Tusken staffs protruding from his armour and several other wounds. It seemed that our armour was not as invulnerable to melee attack as I had thought. Timor had a staff impaled right through his right shoulder. It had gone in so deep that it come out the back of his armour. Yalasa reported that she had been injured in the head where the blaster bold had struck her.

Skeen ordered two other squad members to secure the dewback and take it back to the camp. He then ordered Yalasa, Timor and I to report to the temporary med-bay in shuttle 1. Yalasa and I had to drag Jensen's corpse through the camp to the shuttle. There was no recovery droid here. Timor staggered after us with the staff still stuck in his shoulder. Fortunately, since the raid had finished, the shuttle had flown in to land nearer the camp. So we didn't have to walk too far.

When we reached the shuttle we dumped Jensen's body at the entrance and entered. The med-droid would deal with that later. Since the shuttle was deemed a med-bay and we had been ordered to report here, we were effectively regarded as off duty here while we were inside. This was necessary because we were only permitted to remove parts of our armour if we are off-duty.

Yalasa sat down on one of the shuttle seats and took off her helmet. She had a bad burn on her head where the blaster round had caught her. Luckily the helmet had absorbed most of the damage.

I did not take off my helmet. I reported to the droid that I was not injured. The droid told me that I could return to duty.

Timor staggered in and sat on a seat across from Yalasa, having to bend forward because of the staff point that was protruding from the back of his shoulder. Grimacing in pain, Timor took off his helmet and started removing some of the armour plating around the wounded area so that the med-droid could inspect it. The droid went over to Timor first as his wound was more serious. The droid probed around the wound and Timor gasped in pain.

Yalasa looked over to him smiling maliciously.

"What the fuck are you looking at, Yalasa?" Timor was clearly not impressed with the almost ecstatic expression on Yalasa's face .

"Oh, poor Timor. Are you upset because the Tuskens jabbed you and Jensen with their little toothpicks?" Yalasa pouted.

"Fuck you, Yalasa!" Was Timor's only reply. This only caused Yalasa to burst out laughing.

Then Timor looked up at me. He saw that I was looking at him through my helmet.

"And what the fuck are you looking at?" Timor said to me.

"Oh, he's here to protect you, Timor." Mocked Yalasa. "Just in case there are any Tusken females with feather duster in the vicinity who might tickle you to death."

"Fuck you, Yalasa." Grunted Timor again, as the medical droid started to cut the staff from his shoulder. Then Timor turned to face me again and noticed I was still looking at him.

"Why don't you come here you bastard." Timor glared at me furiously again, his face red and water welling in his eyes. "I'll rip that helmet off and wipe that smug smile off your ugly face."

Timor could not tell if I was smiling since I was wearing my helmet. But as it happens, he was right. I had a big grin on my face. I turned my head to look at yalasa. She looked up at me and laughed with delight. I turned my head back to Timor.

"Now, why don't you just fuck off, trooper." Timor almost spat at me. "You're not even wounded."

"Yes, sir." I said flatly and saluted, before turning briskly to leave the shuttle. I stepped over Jensen's corpse and walked into the heat of the Tatooine sun. As soon as I crossed the shuttle threshold, I was back on duty. Behind me I heard Yalasa giggling uncontrollably with delight.

I made my way to the centre of the camp where I was told by Skeen that Lord Vader was on his way down to inspect the scene of the raid. Soon afterwards Lord Vader's shuttle landed and Lieutenant Denlin went to meet him.

When Lord Vader visits a capture enemy base, we are automatically under a four-zero A order. The 0000A order means that we must stand alert, but at ease. If Lord Vader should be attacked, we would be expected to sacrifice our lives to ensure his safety. There is nothing that can override a 0000A order. As it happened, we did not have to defend Lord Vader today.

Lord Vader and Lieutenant Denlin walked to the centre of the camp where I was waiting beside the remainder of squad A. As usual, I felt a strong surge of pride, devotion and determination as Lord Vader stopped near to where I was standing. Lord Vader looked at the carnage around him. For a few seconds, all was silent except for the regular sound of Lord Vader's breathing mask. Then he turned to Lieutenant Denlin.

"Good work, commander. You may carry on." That was high praise indeed from Lord Vader. I felt honoured that Lord Vader had expressed satisfaction for our work.

I noticed that Lord Vader had referred to lieutenant Delin as a commander. I understood from previous discussions with other stormtroopers, including Noremac, that Lord Vader always referred to stormtrooper commanding officers as 'commander' regardless of their rank.

"Thankyou, my lord." Replied Denlin through his stormtrooper helmet.

With that, Lord Vader returned to the shuttle and flew off into the hazy sky blue Tatooine sky. Immediately afterwards, Lieutenant Denlin ordered us to gather together Tusken weapons and items. We would soon leave for the crash site of the escape-pod. Our search for Lord Vader's missing plans was soon to begin.

* * *

_IMPERIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SECTION_

_REVIEW OF JOURNAL – TROOPER LC-9087_

_The subject has indicated that trooper NR-7054 (aka Skeen) may have breached orders by sending troops into a location outside the defined areas of operation. An investigation should be carried out to determine if the trooper breached regulations._

_The subject has also indicated that trooper NR-8306 (aka Timor) may have breached regulations by talking while on duty. This endangered the lives of the troopers around him. An investigation should be carried out to determine if the trooper requires to be reprimanded._

_The subject has indicated that trooper RC-5342(aka Yalasa) served the Emperor well on the latest mission. An investigation should be carried out to determine if a commendation is due._


	10. Whispers in the Desert

CHAPTER 10 - WHISPERS IN THE DESERT

After Lord Vader departed in his shuttle, Squads C and D brought the dewbacks and the Banthas to the camp. I stood on guard with the troopers from my squad as other members of the platoon set about storing Tusken weapons and other items in one of the shuttles.

Both Yalasa and Timor returned to duty. I was not surprised to see Yalasa as her wound was relatively light. I was surprised to see Timor as his wound had seemed quite serious. Timor told us that the med-droid had been able to patch him up enough for him to continue with the operation. I suspected he was in some pain. But he did not want to abandon the mission. No trooper would. I knew how he felt. No shoulder wound caused by a Tusken could have prevented me serving the Emperor, no matter how painful it was.

A shuttle arrived with a few reinforcements from the local stormtrooper garrison on Tatooine. They showed us how to ride and handle the dewbacks. Later we received orders to join another stormtrooper detachment at the escape-pod and rode out to meet them.

When we arrived at the escape-pod, we were met by Captain Terrik and some troopers under his command. Captain Terrik informed us that the escape-pod had been occupied by two droids which had split up and gone in different directions. We divided our force into two groups, each one tracking one of the droids. The group I was in consisted of our platoon, commanded by Lieutenant Denlin, and a couple of troopers from the local garrison who would act as scouts for us.

We rode the whole day through the sand and the hot sun of the desert. When the light began to fade, we were ordered to halt for the night. We set up a defensive perimeter and sat down to rest. As the darkness and cold of the night crept in across the desert, some of the troopers from my squad settled down beside the portable heaters we had brought with us. I was with Yalasa, Timir and another trooper called Speeler.

After a long hard day, which had involved boarding the Tantive, carrying out a punitive raid and trekking through the desert, we were relieved to take off our helmets and settle down to rest. It was strange being with Yalasa and Timor. We did not normally spend non-duty time together. Those we had normally spent time with from before the Tantive mission were now dead or gravely injured.

Timor grunted in pain as he removed the chest plating of his armour to reveal the wound on his shoulder. It had a red stained bandage covering it. Timor asked me to help him treat the wound and change the bandage. Yalasa looked over to him and smiled maliciously.

"Oh, I'll do it if you want, Timor." Purred Yalasa suggestively.

"Screw you, Yalasa. " Replied Timor. "I want the medication on my shoulder. Not shoved up my ass."

Yalasa giggled mischievously and Timor smiled back at her timidly. Despite the apparent hostility of the words, there was no animosity in the way they spoke to each other. Their interaction had seen cordial. In fact, it was almost friendly.

I went over to Timor and helped him apply the medication and change the bandages. We were all given basic medical training in case there were no med-droids present. It was not a task I was especially skilled at. But I was always willing to aid an injured fellow trooper. For once, Timor sat in silence. It seemed that he was in no mood for joking around.

After Timor had put his armour plating back on, Skeen came over to inform him and Speeler that it was their turn for guard duty. Timor grabbed his blaster and stood up.

"Don't stand beside any rocks while you're there." Said Yalasa looking up at him. "I won't be there to save your ass this time."

"Yeah, very funny." Timor smirked at her. He then put on his helmet.

"And one more thing, trooper." Yalasa called out. Timor looked down at her through his helmet.

"Keep your mouth shut this time."

Timor stood looking at Yalasa for a moment in silence. Then he turned and walked away with Speeler.

Yalasa and I sat there in silence for a moment. Yalasa gazed into the red glow of the portable heater, while I sat eating my rations. Each soldier was given their own field rations. Just like the mess rations, it was prohibited to share rations in the field, unless permitted by our commanding officers or in extreme cases where there was a lack of supply.

"Jensen shouldn't have died today." Yalasa's face was expressionless as she gazed into the fire. "He should have kept his mouth shut and his eyes open."

I knew Yasala was right. We would never say it to each other. But we both knew why Jensen was dead. Timor and Jensen had breached regulations by talking while on duty in enemy territory. If they had been concentrating on their surroundings, they may have reacted faster to the attack. I don't know why they had broken regulations. Why they lost their discipline. Perhaps it was fatigue. Perhaps it was arrogance. Perhaps it was the adrenalin from the attack on the Tusken camp. Whatever the reason was, their failure had killed one trooper and endangered the lives of three others. It fully demonstrated why the regulation to remain silent while on duty was justified. It was not a frivolous rule invented by bureaucrats to make life difficult for us as some civilians believed. It was there to ensure we remained focused on our duty.

"I was angry at him. And at Timor." Yalasa continued. "They pissed me off."

I presumed that, in her own way, Yalasa was apologising for what she said to Timor in the Medbay about him and Jensen being jabbed by Tusken toothpicks. I remembered how furious Yalasa was when Timor and Jensen had laughed at her in the mess. I was angry at Jensen's death too. But for a different reason.

"Jensen angered me too." I said. "For dying so uselessly." I saw Yalasa nod her head solemnly. No trooper should have allowed himself to be killed by a such primitive race as the Tuskens. It was shameful.

In reality, I didn't blame only Jensen and Timor for the fiasco. I blamed Skeen for sending us outside the designated mission area to capture that dewback. If he hadn't ordered us to go there, no one would have been killed or injured. Of course, I would never criticise my commanding NCO openly in front of another trooper. That would be regarded as insubordination and no trooper would accept that.

"If Nomerac was in charge, it wouldn't have happened." I stated instead. Yalasa smirked at that as she continued looking at the red glow of the heater.

"And where is your beloved Noremac now?" She hissed in reply. "He is dead. Just like Jensen. He allowed himself to be killed by that damn rebel bitch Organa. He was a fool."

I was surprised Yalasa had said that, given the rumours about her relationship with Noremac. But on the other hand, I knew she was right. Noremac would be alive if he had stunned Organa immediately. He had hesitated and assumed she was harmless. Just like Timor and Jensen had probably assumed that the Tuskens could not harm them. We had learned the hard way that we should never underestimate the enemies of the Empire. They are always scheming against us. Always trying to undermine the order, enlightenment and civilisation the Emperor has brought to the galaxy.

"I thought you appreciated Noremac." I said to her.

"I appreciated him when he was alive." Yalasa replied bitterly. I still wondered if Yalasa had personal rather than professional reasons to say that. I always considered that to be one of the weaknesses off females. They are always ruled by their emotions. It reinforced my my opinion as to why men make better soldiers .We are simply more level headed, pragmatic and intelligent.

"Yes. He was a good squad leader." I said with sincerity. "The Empire has lost a dedicated and experienced soldier."

"Yes, he was a good loyal soldier of the Empire." Yalasa spoke softly. "But I appreciated him for more than just that."

For the first time that day, Yalasa looked at me right in the eyes.

"And not only for the reasons that you think."

Yalasa's response intrigued me. I wondered what Yalasa had meant by that. But before I could ask anything more, Yalasa lay on the ground and turned her head away from me. I wasn't going to get any answers tonight.


	11. Dewbacks, Droids and Jawas

CHAPTER 11 – DEWBACKS, DROIDS AND JAWAS

We rode across the desert for a few days following the tracks of the droid. It would of course have been faster to travel by shuttle or by speeders. But we needed to move slowly so that we could identify and follow the droid's trail. In places, the wind had covered the tracks with dust and sand. Sometimes we lost the trail and had to search the surrounding area in the desert wasteland before picking it up again.

During the night we made camp. We took care to set up a strong defensive perimeter. There were reports coming in of attacks on travellers and isolated settlements by Tusken raiders. It looked like our punitive raid against the Tusken camp had provoked the Tuskens as expected. This would prove to be useful for us in our next operation.

We did not expect the Tuskens to attack us. Our raid against their camp had demonstrated to the Tuskens that they were no match for imperial stormtroopers. But we ensured that our camp site was well defended in case they tried something. The mini-ambush by the Tuskens which resulted in Jensen's death had demonstrated that the Tuskens could be both courageous and bold. We would not underestimate them again. When on guard, we stood in silence and carefully monitored the surrounding area. When I was on guard duty with Timor, he did not speak. It seemed he had learned his lesson. Either that or he knew not to try it with me.

In the end, nothing much happened over the next two days. At night, we had no time to talk as we either needed to rest, stand guard, see to the dewbacks or clean the dust from our equipment. I used some of the time to update my journal and send it to command. After the activity of the previous couple of days, I was content to have a short period of routine duty. However it did not last long.

After a few days of riding in the desert, the trail of the droid came to an abrupt end. Nearby we found the tracks of a Jawa sandwalker. It seemed like the Jawas had found the droid and taken it on board. After Lieutenant Denlin reported the situation to Captain Terrik, a transport flew in to pick us up.

In the transport, Lieutenant Denlin informed us that we had been ordered to intercept and take control of a Jawa sandwalker until Captain Terrik arrived with reinforcements. He also informed us that Yalasa had been promoted to corporal to replace the dead Jensen.

I was surprised and disappointed by that news. I knew that they would have to replace Jensen sooner or later. I was expecting to be offered the promotion since I had performed well during both the Tusken raid and the Tantive boarding. It irritated me that they had promoted a woman over me. I was a man and thus a better soldier. The teachings of our beloved Emperor Palpatine stated that women did not have the mental capacity or emotional stability to be given command positions. So I did not think it was appropriate for Yalasa to be promoted over me.

My mother had always reinforced the belief in me that females did not make good soldiers. She always told me that she would have loved to serve the Empire in the military. But she recognised that it was not her place to serve in a combat role, even though she would have gladly fought and died in the Emperor's service. After all, she was just a weak willed-woman who served the Empire as best she could with the limited capabilities conferred on the female sex. I always admired my mother for her sincerity and honesty in these matters. She truly was a loyal citizen of the Empire.

However, above all else, I recognise the authority of my commanding officers. If they judged it appropriate to promote Yalasa, then I would follow her orders without question as is my duty. I am an imperial stormtrooper. Above all else, my duty is to follow the orders of my commanding officers and NCOs whose word represents the will of the Emperor himself. Even if those order happen to come from a woman.

We soon located the sandcrawler and our transports landed in front of it. Lieutenant Denlin gave us deployment order 2290F and we quickly exited our transports. Order 2290F required us to surround the target and hold position until given new orders. We were only permitted to open fire if we came under attack. Yalasa led me, Timor and Speeler to a location to the left side of the Sandcrawler where we took up position with blasters at the ready.

Some Jawas came out to meet Lieutenant Denlin and Skeen in front of us. We held our ground as the Lieutenant and Skeen spoke to them. After a short while, we were given new orders and instructed to enter the Sandcrawler. Some of us were to search it for the droids, while others were to ensure that the sandcrawler remained under our control and did not try to move off.

Yalasa led me, Timor and Speeler into the sandcrawler and we made our way to the control room. We were now under order 7718G which required us to secure the control room. The order required us to use a certain degree of intimidation to keep the Jawas in line. However, we were not to use deadly force unless attacked.

We made our way through the corridors and compartments of the sandcrawler, shoving Jawas and droids aside as we walked by. We wanted to ensure that they knew who was in charge and to make clear to them that any resistance would be futile and met with deadly force. I noticed that Timor was especially vigorous in his treatment of the Jawas. While Yalasa and I would give them a shove and say "Move aside!", Timor often slammed them hard against a wall or struck them with his rifle butt as he passed. Timor's actions were not prohibited by the order, but neither was such force expected nor required.

We entered the control room to find six Jawas crowded inside. I was glad I had my stormtrooper helmet on as we were told that Jawas stink. Given the fear they must have been experiencing at that time, I just can't imagine what the stench would have been like.

Yalasa ordered Timor and Speeler to guard the control room door. Yalasa and I entered the room and went about carrying out order 7718G. This involved pushing the Yawas around, smashing any objects that looked breakable, knocking objects off surfaces and generally acting as menacing as possible.

At first the Jawas just stood passively as Yalasa and I pushed them around and wrecked their control room. Then I saw one Jawa fiddling with some buttons on the control panel. I told it to "Move aside!" and then shoved the Jawa away, before smashing that section of the control panel with my rifle butt. In the meantime, Yalasa shoved two Jawas backwards who made a futile attempt to protest at my actions. It must have been an important bit of the controls.

Soon we were notified that Captain Terrik had arrived with reinforcements and was speaking with the Jawas outside. Shortly after, we were issued with Order 9981D. That was an extermination order to take effect in one standard imperial minute. This meant that we were expected to eliminate all Jawas in our designated mission area with deadly force. Order 7718G was still in place, so we were still expected to secure and defend the control room until the mission was declared at an end.

Yalasa signalled to me and we made our way back towards the control room door where Speeler and Timor had been standing in silence. When our attack commenced, we would all stand at the same end of the room to avoid the possibility of accidentally shooting each other in a cross-fire. Yalasa signalled to Speeler and he exited the control room to stand guard on the other side of the door. In the meantime, Yalasa, Timor and I readied our weapons and prepared to fire.

When the order took effect, we opened fire and blasted the Jawas. They were taken completely by surprise. In a matter of seconds we had killed five of the six Jawas and completely blasted the control panel to pieces. From outside the control room, we could hear more blaster fire as our fellow stormtroopers executed their respective extermination orders inside and outside the sandcrawler.

The last remaining Jawa in the control room managed to flee and cower in a corner. Timor pursued it while Yalasa and I blasted the bodies of the Jawas lying on the floor to ensure they were dead. Instead of killing the remaining Jawa straight away, Timor struck it a couple of time with his rifle butt and then deliberately shot the Jawa in the leg.

I always thought Timor had a sadistic streak in him. I was sure Timor was one of the troopers who had continued firing at the end of the Tantive mission, killing one of the surrendering rebels. I was also sure that he had deliberately aimed and shot the fleeing Tuskens after we had driven them from the designated mission area during our raid on the Tusken camp. While Yalasa, Jensen and I simply fired off some unaimed shots to keep them running, he deliberately try to hit them. His actions were not prohibited by the orders and I certainly do not care for the welfare of Tuskens or rebel traitors. But I equally believe that they were neither the optimal nor necessary course of action required to achieve the mission objective.

Timor fired again. This time he deliberately shot the Jawa in the stomach area. The Jawa was still alive and screeching in pain. In theory, Timor's actions were not prohibited by extermination order 9981D. Sometimes it was necessary for us to wound a target during an extermination order so that we could carry out an execution more efficiently and effectively. Nor did I really care if disgusting primitive aliens who were ignorant of the Emperor's wisdom, such as Jawas, Tuskens or whoever else, suffered or not. But I did not believe that wounding the target in this particular case was appropriate or optimal to the completion of the mission objective. With that in mind, I took it upon myself to ensure that the mission objective was achieved as quickly as possible. So I placed myself alongside Timor, raised my rifle and blasted the Jawa in the head three times. I wanted to ensure it was dead.

I turned away and took position by the door to guard against any attempt by the Jawas to assault the control room, as unlikely as that seemed. In the end, there was no need to defend the control room. Soon, most blaster fire from outside had stopped, apart from the odd intermittent blaster shot as our fellow troopers ensured that all the Jawas were dead.

Yalasa reported that our part of the mission was successfully completed and we waited for new orders. Shortly afterwards we were ordered to exit the Sandcrawler. As we made our way out, we passed the broken bodies of dead Jawas and smashed remains of blasted droids.

We left the Sandcrawler and walked into the bright Tatooine sunlight where we found the bodies of dead Jawas littering the ground. It seemed that some Jawas had tried to fight back. But they were no match for the accuracy and training of imperial stormtroopers.

Nearby a large transport landed and a few troopers on Banthas slowly rode out towards the sandcrawler. Meanwhile other troopers had begun scattering Tusken weapons and other items around the combat zone. It was clear that we were going to put the blame on the Tuskens for this attack. We were putting the items we captured at the Tusken camp to good use.

Skeen ordered our squad to another shuttle which would take us to our next destination. We were to investigate a moisture farmer who had bought the droids from the Jawas. As we walked to the shuttle, we saw a stormtrooper from a different unit kneeling on the ground with his helmet off. He was vomiting vigorously on the ground. That was the first time I had ever seen a trooper being physically sick who had not been injured in some way during an operation.

He was a trooper I would never forget.

* * *

_IMPERIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SECTION_

_REVIEW OF JOURNAL – TROOPER LC-9087_

_The subject indicates that trooper NR-8306 (aka Timor) may have sadistic tendencies which could potentially have a negative impact on the efficient completion of mission objectives. Although, the subject indicates that Trooper NR-8306 has not acted outside mission parameters, we recognise that Trooper NR-8306 may not be applying the most appropriate or optimal use of force required to complete mission objectives in the most efficient and secure manner. We recommend that said trooper's mix of medication be reviewed to determine if this is contributing to his extreme actions. Otherwise, said trooper should be monitored and his status reviewed on a regular basis. If required, a psychological review should be carried out at a later time if his extreme actions should continue after treatment has been modified._

_Despite the subject's (i.e. Trooper LC-9087) discontent in being put under the command of a female NCO, it appears that Trooper RC-5342 (aka Corporal Yalasa) performed well during her first mission in a command role. _

_In order to reduce the subject's (i.e LC-9087) potential animosity to his female commanding NCO, we recommend a mild reduction in the level of hormonal blockers assigned to his medication. A mild increase in sexual stimulation may make Trooper LC-9087 more amenable to his female commanding NCO and reduce the risk of potential disobedience. _


	12. Banter, Lies and Execution

**Warning forenote: This chapter deals with the execution of Luke's uncle and aunt during ANH. Please be warned that the tone of the narration shifts significantly during this chapter. The chapter starts out relatively light-hearted and becomes very dark towards the end. However, I think this is appropriate to the nature of this story. **

CHAPTER 12 – BANTER, LIES AND EXECUTION

Skeen led our 8 man squad into the shuttle which would take us to the location of the moisture farmer who had bought the droids from the Jawas. We were joined by Captain Terrik and a squad from the detachment which had originally located the escape-pod in the desert. All the troopers and NCOs sat in the back, while the Captain sat in the front with the pilots. In the meantime, Lieutenant Denlin would take command of the troops left behind at the site of the Jawa sandwalker.

Most of the troopers took off their helmets. While we were in the shuttle, we were regarded as off-duty and could talk freely. The only troopers not to take off their helmets were Skeen and the trooper from the other detachment who we had seen vomiting after the attack on the Jawa sandcrawler. We didn't know it at the time, but that particular trooper was called Wilkis Zarin. We had never met Zarin before. But he was a trooper who we would never forget.

Being the squad extrovert, Timor set about talking with troopers from the other detachment. They said that they were from the same star Destroyer as us, but were from a different company. We had never met them before. That was no surprise. Star Destroyer hold several companies of stormtroopers. Different companies on the same Star Destroyer often never cross paths. We stay in separate quarters and carry out duties on separate parts of ship. Thus we often never meet or interacted with troopers from other companies on the Star Destroyer.

They did not seem to realise that we were stationed on the same Star Destroyer. They assumed that we were from the local Desert Sands garrison for some reason. Perhaps it was because we had arrived first at the sandcrawler. Perhaps it was because they had seen us arrive on dewbacks at the escape-pod. Whatever the reason, we didn't bother to correct their assumption. Instead, seeing the opportunity for a good wind-up, Timor claimed that we were fully fledged and experienced members of the local Desert Sands unit. I think he liked the idea of being associated with a specialist unit, being the self-obsessed arrogant wind-up merchant he was.

When everyone noticed that Zarin had still not taken off his helmet, the other troopers started teasing him mercilessly.

"Hey, Zarin." Said one trooper from his squad. "Why haven't you taken your helmet off yet? Has your puke made your face stick to the inside of your helmet." The other troopers laughed at that.

"And why did you throw up anyway?" Teased another trooper. "Is it because the dead Jawas stink?"

"Oh, I don't know." Interjected Timor, considering himself to be the squad joker and anxious to join in the fun. "I thought they stank a lot worse when they were alive. Killing them only made them smell better if you ask me."

All the troopers around Zarin laughed again. Zarin didn't react. He just sat there with his helmet still on, looking at the floor.

"Perhaps Zarin was upset because he's just a big girl's pussy." The trooper making the joke looked round grinning at the other troopers as they laughed heartily. When his eyes met Yalasa, who was the only female trooper in the shuttle, he found that she was staring at him with an icy expression on her face. The trooper blushed and quickly added. "Er...no offense corporal."

Yalasa sighed, lifted her eyes to the ceiling and shook her head with an expression of resigned contempt on her face.

"Really...none taken, trooper." She replied in a resigned tone. Yalasa probably realised that the joke was not directed at her and so did not take offense. Working in a male dominated environment, Yalasa was used to hearing jokes relating to women and their body parts. She generally took them in her stride. However, I don't think she ever really appreciated them.

"Or perhaps, Zarin is upset because he only managed to kill one Jawa." Suggested another trooper in Zarin's squad. "What a pathetic performance."

"Hey, what's wrong with only killing one Jawa." Cried Timor with feigned indignation. "I only killed one Jawa too. In fact, that makes me feel sick. You know what, I'm going to throw up now too."

Timor leaned forward and pretended to throw up in his helmet in the most exaggerated manner possible to the hysterical laughter of the other troopers. Seeing that he was on a roll, Timor decided to continue.

"In fact, I would have killed a second Jawa if anal-boy over there hadn't shot it before me." Timor pointed at me to the hilarity of nearly everyone in the shuttle, except of course myself.

I was not amused at being brought into the joke and sat looking at Timor with an angry stern expression on my face as he and the others laughed at me. I turned to look at Yalasa who was sitting beside me, hoping to get support from her. Instead, I found that she was grinning madly like a Kowakian monkey lizard, trying desperately to hold in a laugh. She turned her head and looked at my stony-face expression, before sniggering uncontrollably and then bursting into the most high-pitched giggle I have ever heard in my life. That only made the troopers laugh even more.

Anal-boy is the nickname that Timor sometimes uses with me when we are off-duty. Ostensibly, it relates to the fact that I am very particular about following regulations, protocol and orders to the letter in the most efficient and optimal manner possible. I am also aware that the nickname may be a back-handed reference to my close companionship with Noremac. However, these vile insinuations are definitely false as I can categorically confirm that I have never had a physical or sexual encounter with Noremac.

The discussion moved onto the Tusken items that our forces had spread round the sandcrawler. Some of the troopers from the other detachment asked if the Tuskens had attacked our unit. Timor took it on himself to invent a story about how the Tuskens had attacked us a couple of nights before and we had fended them off, picking up the weapons and items from the fallen attackers.

Timor then removed the armour plating on his shoulder and showed them the wound he had received during the Tusken raid, claiming that he had fended off six Tuskens by himself while saving Yalasa's life. This time it was Yalasa's turn to scowl in disgust and my turn to grin widely with amusement.

One of the troopers from the other squad said that this was their first extermination mission. That made us sit up and listen. Timor asked them if they had taken part in any other crowd control or punitive missions. They confirmed they had not. They had only been involved in operations against armed rebels, traitors and pirates.

Yalasa and I looked at each other with a rapid side-ways glance. That obviously surprised us both. We always thought that all stormtroopers carry out the same missions. But it occurred to me that perhaps some stormtrooper units were specialised in dealing with certain types of mission. Perhaps not all stormtrooper units were deployed to deal with civil unrest and civil disobedience which often involving imposing the Emperor's will on unarmed or poorly armed civilians. Perhaps our unit had been specifically assigned to such civil order missions.

Before the other troopers could ask us more questions about our missions, we were ordered to put on our helmets and prepare for landing. We were on duty now, so we could no longer engage in idle chat, which was a big relief as far as I was concerned.

After exiting the shuttle, we approached the main homestead of the target moisture farm. A male middle-aged human farmer came out to meet us with a concerned expression on his face. He was right to be concerned. Captain Terrik ordered some troopers to detain him and started asking him questions. The farmer said that he only lived with his wife, who was inside the house, and their nephew who had left to look for an escaped droid.

With that, Captain Terrik ordered us to search the homestead under order 5509E. This was a detention order which permitted a reasonable level of force. We were to detain the wife and any other occupants, without killing them if possible. He ordered other troopers to search other parts of the farm.

Yalasa led me, Timor and Speeler into the house. We easily found the wife. She was sitting anxiously in her kitchen. Timor dragged her up and pushed her towards the entrance, striking her brutally with his rifle as he pushed her forward. Yalasa immediately intervened, ordering Timor away from the frightened woman. Instead, Yalasa ordered Timor and Speeler to search the house. Yalasa then ordered me to escort the woman outside.

Again, I thought Timor had acted with too much force in detaining the prisoner. Some orders did require us to brutalise prisoners, and we did so under direct instruction as part of our duty and obligation to the Empire. I did not care for the welfare of the prisoner. But I understood that a prisoner may be needed alive and relatively unharmed for interrogation. So I believe that Yalasa had made the correct decision in ordering Timor away from the prisoner. The prisoner was being cooperative and so excessive force was not required or expected to comply with the order assigned to us.

I put hand restraints on the woman and pushed her out towards the exit. She whimpered and pleaded as I escorted her out. But I did not listen to her. Her cries of innocence were not my concern. I was only concerned with following my orders and the executing the will of the Emperor.

We took her outside. The woman fainted, so Yalasa and I had to drag her along the ground to where her husband was kneeling. Timor and Speeler came out of the house and confirmed there was no one else inside. If they had found anyone of adolescent or adult age, they would have been dragged out beside the middle-aged couple. If we had found any pre-teen children, we would have taken them back with us. They would have been re-educated as loyal servants of the Empire. It seems only just to me that rebels should be made to pay for their treason by giving their children in service of the Empire.

It was clear that Captain Terrik had finished with his interrogation. He ordered us all to fall back a few yards and stand in front of the couple in a crescent formation. It seemed the male farmer realised what was going to happen. He desperately embraced his wife for one last time. Then Captain Terrik ordered us to open fire.

We all open fired with our blasters at once. They force of the firepower was so strong that it vaporised the couple leaving only two steaming skeletons lying entwined together on the dusty ground of Tatooine. Captain Terrik ordered us to burn the inside of the homestead as a message to others that it does not pay to aid rebels. Then we boarded our shuttle and took off.

As we sat in the shuttle with our helmets off, Timor started talking and joking with some other troopers about the execution of the farmers. I did not get involved. The captain had declared them to be rebel sympathisers and subject to summary execution. As far as I was concerned, they deserved die. They had come into contact with the droids we were searching for and thus were traitors by association. Even suspected treason should not be tolerated and should be punished by death. But I did not gloat over dead rebels. They were no longer a threat to the peace of the Empire and thus irrelevant. Talking about the dead rebels only conferred on them an importance that they did not merit.

Timor then started telling made-up stories about all the various missions he had supposedly been involved in on Tatooine against Jawas, Tuskens, Traitors, pirates and rebels as part of the Desert Sands unit. It was all a pile of mynock muffins of course, as Timor had never been to Tatooine before the Tantive mission. By the way Timor spoke, Tatooine was constant hive of treason, civil unrest and rebel activity. If it demonstrated one thing, it was that you could never fully believe what a trooper told you when he was off-duty.

I looked at Yalasa who was sitting beside me. She was not involved in the conversation either. She was intently looking over at Skeen who was quietly sitting with his helmet still on and his head bowed. The only other trooper to still have his helmet on was Zarin who was also sitting in silence and looking at the floor. It occurred to me that Skeen had been acting strangely for some time. He had not spoken or interacted with any of us off-duty since the encounter with Organa. In fact, I don't think I had seen him with his helmet off since before the Tantive mission. I wondered if what Organa said to him about his parents being rebels had affected him in some way.

"We should keep an eye on the one in the helmet." Yalasa whispered to me.

"Which one?" I asked, whispering back. "Skeen or Zarin?"

"Yes." Was all Yalasa replied.

When we landed, we all descended from the shuttle and made our way to our assigned barracks in the settlement of Mos-Eisley. When we got there and did a roll-call we found there was one man missing. We had been right to be concerned about Zarin. He had disappeared. Zarin had deserted.

Wilkis Zarin had committed the worst crime imaginable. He had betrayed his solemn oath to the Emperor and the Empire. In doing so, he had shamed and betrayed us all.

* * *

IMPERIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL UNIT

_REVIEW OF JOURNAL – TROOPER LC-9087_

_The subject suggests that Trooper NR-7054 (aka Skeen) is acting very in a very unusual manner, refusing to remove his helmet and interact with his fellow troopers when off-duty. We recommend a psychological review of the said trooper should be undertaken after the Tatooine mission is complete._

_We can confirm that Trooper Wilkis Zarin has deserted. We recommend monitoring all units who are aware of the desertion to ensure that it does not have a negative impact on morale, performance or their loyalty to the Empire._

_We also recommend issuing a special 7771 order prohibiting all troopers from discussing the desertion of Wilkis Zarin outside their respective units._

* * *

**Authors Notes**

**Fanfiction crossover – Author m4x70r**

**I would like to thank fellow author ****m4x70r**** for permitting me to use the character of Wilkis Zarin in this chapter. The events taking place on Tatooine and indeed to some extent this whole story, are inspired from a story called "My Name is Wilkis Zarin" written by ****m4x70r.**

**If you are interested in hearing more about what drove Wilkis Zarin to desert, I recommend you read "My Name is Wilkis Zarin" as it provides a good counter-point to my own story. In their respective journals, you can assume (if you wish) that both Wilkis Zarin and my protagonist are describing the same events from different points of views. Since both stories are effectively memoires, I suggest that you assume that any inconsistencies result from faulty memory of events or biased viewpoints of the respective characters.**

**If you would like to read more about Wilkis Zarin's later life after his desertion, I recommend you read the story "To no avail" also written by ****m4x70r. ****It is a very entertaining action-packed Imperial centred fic dealing with the events leading up to and during the battle of Endor.**

**Pop Culture References**

**I would also like to give a nod to a couple of references from other sources**

**500 Days of Summer**

**The nickname of anal-boy given to my protagonist was inspired from the movie "500 Days of Summer". In the movie, the main female character (Summer Finn) refers to herself as anal-girl because she is so particular about keeping her room tidy. I do not own 500 Days of Summer.**

**Babylon 5 – Episode "Midnight on the firing Line"**

**This refers to the when Yalasa simply answers "yes" to the question as to whether they should keep an eye on Skeen or Zarin. This is inspired from the very first episode of B5 where Vorlon Ambassador Kosh uses the same line when asked about the Narn and Centauri. I do not own B5.**


	13. Shame and Dishonour

**Forenote: I would like to thank fellow author ****m4x70r**** for permitting me to use the character of Wilkis Zarin in this story. If you wish to read more about Wilkis Zarin, please read the stories by ****m4x70r, '**My Name is Wilkis Zarin' and 'To No Avail'.

CHAPTER 13 - SHAME AND DISHONOUR

When we arrived at Mos Eisley, we were assigned to a requisitioned house in the centre of the town which has living room, a couple of bedrooms and a large kitchen. I slept on the floor of the living room beside Timor, Yalasa and Speeler. The other half of the squad and Skeen were distributed around the other rooms.

Early the next morning, Captain Terrik came to our quarters and confirmed that Wilkis Zarin had deserted from his unit. He told us that a patrol had found his abandoned armour in an alley the previous night. They managed to locate it from a signal that is emitted from our helmets. Captain Terrik ordered us that we were not permitted to discuss Zarin's desertion, even within our own squad. Command obviously took the matter very seriously.

Yalasa volunteered on our behalf to go out and search for Zarin to bring him to justice for his treason. We would have gladly followed her. But Captain Terrik denied us permission, reminding us that our priority was to locate the droids. The mission to find the droids came under a 4219A order. It was critical priority, so no resources were to be employed to look for Zarin. However, Captain Terrik told us we should detain or shoot Zarin under order 8866E if we should encounter him in Mos Eisley. An 8866 order is automatically issued by command in the threoretical situation where a stormtroopers is known to desert. It requires us to search for and detain or shoot the deserter. Normally, it would be our main priority to find the deserter. But in this case, the search for the droids was of higher importance.

An 8866 is one of these orders that we never expected to receive. We had never experienced a desertion before. We knew desertions sometimes happened in less dedicated units like the fleet and regular army. But a desertion from the stormtrooper corps was unthinkable. For us, it was seen as an impossibility. So we regarded an 8866 order as a theoritical curiosity, but not something that would ever be put into practice. When we heard of desertions among other arms of the military, we often used to proudly discuss among ourselves how such a thing would never happen in a stormtrooper unit. The idea that the unthinkable had now happened was almost unbearable. It was a severe blow to our pride and honour.

The mood was very depressed and sombre after we heard of Zarin's desertion. Zarin's desertion was something that I personally could not comprehend and I am sure the others felt the same way. How could a trooper desert the most elite arm of the imperial military? How could he betray his fellow troopers who had given him so much companionship and trust? How could he betray the Emperor who had given us such a noble purpose and position in life? How could he betray the honour of his family, and so many others, who would suffer the ignominy of being associated with a liar and a traitor? It was all just incomprehensible. Zarin was not even part of our squad. But I still felt the shame of his betrayal.

In our squad, Yalasa took the desertion far worse than the rest of us. Shortly after Captain Terrik left the house, Yalasa exploded into a hurricane of uncontained rage, smashing furniture, ornaments and cutlery all round the requisitioned house where we were quartered. She did not attack or hurt any of the other troopers. It was clear she did not blame us. She was genuinely outraged that Zarin had dared to betray his vow to the Emperor. She seemed to take it as a personal insult, even though Zarin wasn't from our stormtrooper company and she had never met him before the mission against the moisture farmers. She swore revenge against that "traitorous bastard" who had joined that "duplicitous band of slavers, rapists and murderers" that called themselves rebels. Of course, there was no indication that Zarin had joined a rebel group. But Yalasa seemed to regard any deserter as being a rebel by default.

What surprised me were the terms Yalasa used to describe the rebels. Normally, our media, information services and educators refer to the rebels as criminal, terrorist, corrupt, decadent, fanatic, deluded, insane and morally weak. Imperial officers often love to use the term "rebel scum". But Yalasa's use of the words "slavers, rapists and murderers" are not terms typically used by the Empire to describe the rebels. It occurred to me that her hatred of the rebels was tangible and very real. Yalasa's hatred of the rebels seems to be deeply personal. She seems to despise the rebels with a passion that goes far beyond loyalty to the Empire.

We were all alarmed at Yalasa's violent reaction. All we could do was stand back and watch as she screamed, cursed and smashed everything around her. Fortunately, she was not in her armour at the time, as the damage could have been much worse. I watched her carefully, prepared to intervene should her actions threaten to break regulation. With Skeen acting strangely, I believed that it was imperitive for us that Yalasa continued with the mission. However, I recognise that there is little I could do to stop her as she rampaged around the living room. Since she was my commanding NCO, I was not in a strong position to prevent her from carrying out unwise actions, or say foolish things, she may later regret. It was not like the incident after the Tantive mission where I could treat her as an equal. Things had changed. All I could do was ensure that her blaster was well out of her sight.

Fortunately, we were in a private house, so she did not damage any imperial property. After a couple of hours she calmed down and sat in a corner of one of the rooms. Inside she was still boiling with rage, but at least she had stopped screaming and breaking things. For the next two days, she hardly spoke to anyone, forcing herself to calmly answer any questions directed at her. Most of the time, she just sat in a trance-like state, hatred and determination burning in her eyes.

In reality, Yalasa's reaction reflected how we all felt. The whole squad felt the same shame and dishonour. Although the rest of us seemed to deal with the situation calmly, I admit that I felt just as much anger as Yalasa did. I am sure the others felt the same. We just controlled our anger better. Clearly being a woman had made Yalasa more susceptible to violent emotional reactions and it justified my belief that woman should not be permitted to have command positions.

However, I must recognise that despite her barely contained fury, Yalasa continues to carry out her duty as a stormtrooper corporal with the same discipline and determination as usual. When she puts on her armour and her helmet, she immediately becomes the unwavering stormtrooper corporal dedicated to serving the Empire with all her being. If anything, she has become even more determined in finding the droids which seem to be of so much importance to that "rebel bitch Organa" and "her rebel lap-dogs".

All of us in the squad were affected by Zarin's desertion. We now rarely talk to each other off-duty. Instead, we dedicate ourselves to maintaining our equipment, eating our rations and resting. I am taking the opportunity to update my journal to express the pain we all feel at this moment.

I thought Timor may have resisted the sombre mood. I thought he would have tried to lightened the mood with a few of his jokes of poor taste. But, if anything, he took Zarin's desertion more badly than most. Off-duty, he just sits by himself, quiet and sullen. It may be because he believes that he had somehow contributed to Zarin's desertion from the things he said in the shuttle after the sandcrawler mission. Perhaps he thinks he would be blamed for it. Despite the fact that I do not always appreciate Timor's humour, I do not blame him for Zarin's desertion. Looking back, Timor's never really directly taunted Zarin. Zarin's fellow squad members threw the worst insults. Also no true loyal servant of the Empire would ever desert because of a few comments made off-duty. Our duty to the Empire is worth much more to us that our very lives, never mind any insult that could be thrown at us. The truth is that Zarin deserted because he is a vile unscrupulous traitor. There is no other reason.

Then there is Skeen. Skeen has never been the same since his encounter with Organa in the turbo-lift. Since that day, he has never spoken to us off-duty and I have never seen him take his helmet off. In the requisitioned house, he shuts himself in one of the rooms and only comes out when it was time to go on duty.

At one point Timor became so frustrated after Skeen went to his room without speaking to us or taking off his helmet that Timor said: "What the fuck is wrong with him? Does that fucker never take his helmet off? He must sleep in that damn thing."

We all sat or stood still in shocked silence. The only sound was the noise of troopers chewing on their rations or slurping a drink. I actually agreed with Timor and was glad someone else had noticed that there was something strange about Skeen. But I would not have said it out loud like Timor had. It was a clear demonstration of disobedience and a clear breach of regulations. There was no doubt that Timor would receive a severe reprimand for his words.

It was just as well Yalasa is here. Skeen is our commanding NCO. But in reality, it is Yalasa who organises the squad and gives most of the orders. We all depend on Yalasa to receive instructions and give us direction. At the check-points, Skeen asks for identification and decides whether to search travellers or not. But in everything else, it is Yalasa who really leads us and demonstrates true determination to find the droids. The truth is that we obey Skeen, but we follow Yalasa. Despite her emotional breakdown, I believe we can still depend on her.

Fortunately, we do not have a lot of time to brood about Skeen or Zarin when off-duty. Because of the number of settlements our forces have to cover in our mission to find the droids, there is a limited number of troopers available in Mos Eisley. We have to do long shifts checking travellers at check-points and patrolling the town during the day. At night, all we have time to do is eat, sleep and maintain our equipment. The latter is quite important as there was a lot of dust on Tatooine and it gets absolutely everywhere.

Despite Zarin's desertion, the truth is that we have every reason to be optimistic. We have achieved the mission objectives in all our operations since we boarded the Tantive IV. So we all feel proud that we have served the Empire well. The droids are still at large, but the situation is contained. Since our troops are looking for them in the spaceports and our fleets are blockading the planet from orbit, it was only a matter of time until the droids and the plans are back in the hands of the Imperial authorities.

Each day, we eagerly put on our armour and our helmets and go out to fulfil our mission objective. After the desertion of Zarin, we are all more determined than ever to find the droids whatever the cost. We will fulfil the order 4219A and redeem ourselves of the shame that was put upon us by Wilkis Zarin. We will not fail the Emperor.

_IMPERIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SECTION_

_REVIEW OF JOURNAL – TROOPER LC-9087_

_As feared, the desertion of trooper Zarin has had a significant negative impact on the psychological well-being of some troopers. __Many troopers are experiencing violent urges or periods of depression as the news of trooper Zarin's desertion conflicts with their conditioning as imperial stormtroopers. Other treatments applied to some troopers may be exacerbating these violent and/or depressive reactions. However, despite the negative reactions experienced off-duty, it appears there is no significant impact during on-duty operational performance. The situation should be monitored at all times._

_In the unlikely event that a desertion occurs in the future, we recommend that the trooper be declared missing or killed in action to avoid similar difficulties in the future._

_The subject indicates that trooper NR-8306 (aka Timor) may have breached regulations by demonstrating disobedience to his commanding NCO in front of his fellow troopers. If such an act of disobedience can be corroborated, NR-8306 should be subject to an official reprimand._

_The subject indicates that trooper NR-7054 (aka Skeen) appears to have lost his effectiveness as an NCO. This is corroborated by other sources. We recommended that he is relieved from duty as soon as possible and should be subject to a psychological review._

_The subject indicates that trooper RC-5342 (aka Yalasa) may have trouble controlling her emotions in extreme situations despite her conditioning. The subject indicates that Trooper RC-5342 may have mentioned trooper Zarin's desertion in breach of direct orders. If this is corroborated, a reprimand will have to be issued. Apart from that, i__ndications suggest that she is able to continue effectively with her duty. Her status should be monitored on a regular basis. The balance of the medication in her rations should also be reviewed._


	14. The Fiasco in Mos Eisley

**Forenote: The events in the chapter include descriptions of some of the Mos Eisley scenes from the movie a A New Hope. There are some events and characters that appear in other Star Wars Literature. The specific characters I have used from SW literature are Captain Terrik and Devin Felth. I do not own Star Wars, or any of its characters, settings or other content. In some cases, the events in this story may not be consistent with those in the movie or Star Wars literature.**

CHAPTER 14 – THE FIASCO AT MOS EISLEY

My hands are trembling as I write my journal this day. I cannot begin to express the shame and dishonour that we all feel at this time. It pains me to write these words which weigh bitterly on our hearts. But I must. Because only in recognising our errors and failures, may we one day be able to redeem ourselves.

We have failed!

We failed the high priority mission order 4219A to capture the rebel droids entrusted to us by Lord Vader himself. We have failed in our solemn duty to the Empire. We have no excuse. We know we shall be punished for our failure. And each one of us recognises that we deserve severe punishment for the shame and dishonour we have brought on our unit and fellow troopers. I only hope that the Lord Vader will be generous enough to give us an opportunity to redeem ourselves, even if that opportunity will ultimately cost us our lives. We would gladly surrender our lives with honour, rather than live on in shame.

It was in Mos Eisley that things started to go wrong. Until then, everything had gone to plan. We had achieved all our mission objectives and only received one fatal casualty. But when, we arrived in Mos Eisley, everything started to quickly unravel.

The desertion of Wilkis Zarin threw us into turmoil. All of us suffered episodes of depression and rage as we tried to come to terms with Zarin's treason. However, I do not believe it affected my performance. I truly believe that I continued to carry out my duty to the Emperor with the dedication and determination that befits an imperial stormtrooper. Neverless, it was an event that shocked us to the core. It may well have affected the reasoning of some of our troopers and commanders.

Then there was Skeen. He acted more and more strangely as the days went by. He seemed to be affected by some sort of lethargy and indifference, only doing the bare minimum to fulfil his duty as an imperial stormtrooper sergeant. His lack of determination severely hampered our search operations. As squad corporal, Yalasa did all she could to mitigate his ineffectiveness, but there was only so much she could do without contradicting the orders of her commanding NCO. That caused severe frustration for us all, not least for Yalasa herself. However, Skeen was not lethargic and indifferent all the time. When Captain Terrik was present, Skeen always did just enough to ensure that the captain believed he was still an effective squad leader. In that sense, Skeen was very devious.

Despite the issues with Skeen and Zarin, things were fairly routine for the first three days. We checked the ID of travellers at check-points or patrolled the streets of Mos Eisley looking out for any sign of the droids. For these first three days, nothing of significance occurred. In fact, when we got back to the requisitioned house on the night of the 3rd day, the mood lightened. We started to feel more confident that we would locate and detain the droids should any rebel sympathisers be foolish enough to bring them to Mos Eisley. Unfortunately, we were to be mistaken.

The next day, everything went wrong. And it is no surprise that Skeen was at the centre of the disaster that was to fall upon us.

On the fourth day, our squad, under Skeen's command, was at a check-point on one of the Mos Eisley main streets. As usual, we were wearing our white stormtrooper armour and carrying our gear in our black back-packs. Although we had requisitioned quarters, we could not afford to leave anyone to guard them when we were not there. We were not permitted to leave any imperial equipment unsecured, so we had to carry everything with us.

For the first couple of hours, all was routine with no suspicious travellers passing through the check-point. Then a red speeder turned up, occupied by two human males and two droids. That immediately caught our attention and we all stood ready, prepared to take action to detain the travellers should we be ordered to do so.

The two droids looked suspicious. One was a golden coloured protocol droid, while the other was a short blue and white maintenance droid. They exactly matched the description of the droids that the Jawas gave us. There was a good probability that these were the droids we were looking for.

One of the male humans was a frail looking old man who had a white beard and wore a brown cloak. I did not recognise him. But I did recognise the sandy haired boy in the driver seat. I was sure I had seen a photo of him in the homestead of the rebel moisture farmers we had executed. I was almost certain that he was the nephew of the farmers.

I stood ready, awaiting Skeen's order to detain them. But he never gave that order. Instead he approached the speeder and asked them for their identification.

The old man turned to Skeen and spoke to him softly. "You don't need to see his identification."

To my surprise Skeen turned to us and said: "We do not need to see his identification."

"These are not the droids you are looking for." Continued the old man. At that moment, I expected Skeen to challenge the old man. But I was wrong. Given Skeen's behaviour recently, I should have known better.

"These are not the droids we are looking for." Said Skeen. I stood there perplexed. For the first time, in my career, I wanted to intervene and suggest to my commanding NCO that he may be mistaken. But I was not willing to contradict my commanding NCO. I glanced at Yalasa, Timor, Speeler and the others in the squad. They watched the scene unfold impassively. They stood still and in silence, but I was sure they must have been as confounded as me.

"He can go about his business." Said the old man, who seemed to maintain some sort of hold over Skeen.

"You can go about your business." Said Skeen, repeating the old man almost word for word. I just continued watching incredulously as Skeen prepared to allow the most suspicious travellers we had seen in four days pass us by.

"Move Along." Said the old man.

"Move along, move along." Repeated Skeen. Then they were gone.

I watched dumbfounded as the two men and the droids sped away into Mos Eisley. We all stood there in silence. That is normal for us stormtroopers. But this silence had a tension to it that was as thick as a blast door.

I wanted to approach Skeen and suggest we should detain the travellers for questioning. But I could not. One of the fundamental rules of the stormtrooper code is that we never question or contradict a decision of our commanding NCOs or officers. The reason is simple. Sometimes our commanding officers and NCOs receive separate higher priority orders that the troopers below them are not aware of. For example; Skeen could be letting the travellers go so they would fall into a trap set further down the road. Or perhaps unknown to the regular troopers, the travellers were imperial agents who Skeen had been ordered to let pass. However, given how strange Skeen was acting, I was sure that there was no countermanding order in this case. Later I would be proved to be correct.

In practice, it is the ultimate responsibility of a commanding NCO or officer to ensure the proper execution of orders issued to him. As his subordinates, we are required to follow his orders even if they seem to contradict or countermand the official orders issued to us. There are a few orders such as the four-three-A order (3333A), issued to escort Organa in the Tantive, and the four-zero-A (0000A) order relating to the protection of Lord Vader that cannot be countermanded. But order 4219A was not one of these cases.

Yalasa was clearly suspicious of the travellers as well. She approached Skeen and asked permission to detain the travellers, or at least report their presence to Captain Terrik. That showed just how determined Yalasa was to find the droids. Many corporals would have simply accepted Skeen's decision. But Yalasa obviously believed that the travellers were worth further investigation. As squad Corporal, Yalasa had the right to request permission to detain the travellers for further questioning.

However, Skeen denied her request and ordered her back to her post at the check-point. At that point there was nothing more Yalasa could do. The only way that she or any of us could detain the travellers would be to disobey a direct order from a commanding NCO. Even Yalasa, who was a loyal soldier of the Empire, would not disobey a direct order. So we all returned to our assigned task at the check-point, knowing full well that we had probably just allowed the droids we were looking for to pass us by.

Later we received new orders from Captain Terrik. An informant had seen the droids we were looking for around the area of the Mos Eisley cantina. Captain Terrik ordered Skeen to carry out door to door searches in the cantina area. Skeen ordered me and three other troopers to accompany him to carry out the searches. He left Yalasa in charge of the rest of the squad at the check-point.

For some inexplicable reason, Skeen did not take trooper Davin Felth with us. Felth was a technical expert and not originally from our company. Captain Terrik assigned him to our squad when we arrived in Mos Eisley to replace the dead Jensen. Felth's technical expertise would have been useful to open doors that were electronically or mechanically sealed. It was another demonstration of Skeen's ever growing incompetence that he failed to bring Felth along on the assignment.

Skeen was in no hurry to start the search. We walked at a painfully slow pace to the cantina area. When we reached the search zone, Skeen stayed outside the property and let the remaining troopers search the building. With Skeen unwilling to coordinate the search, our activity was disorganised and inefficient. I did the best I could. Where we were able to enter the building, I searched all the rooms that were open, pushing the occupants aside to gain access when necessary. Where there were locked doors, I kicked them in and searched the room behind. Unfortunately, we had to leave any heavy metal doors that were locked electronically as we did not have the expertise to hack or blast the lock. I took note of them and left the house.

In some cases, the front doors of the properties were locked. Instead of trying to enter, Skeen simply said. "This one is locked. Move onto the next one". I found that exasperating as we were leaving many properties unsearched. The droids, and indeed Zarin, could have been hiding in any of them. But since Skeen was my commanding NCO, I was not in a position to question his orders.

After some time searching a few properties, we were ordered to return to the check-point area. There we met Captain Terrik with a squad from another company standing with Yalasa and the rest of our squad. While Captain Terrik consulted with Skeen, Yalasa approached me and asked me how the search had gone.

"Did you find anything during the search, trooper?" She asked me.

"No, sir." I responded. "But there were some properties we were unable to search."

Yalasa looked at me through her helmet visor. Yalasa looked over at Skeen who was still with Captain Terrik. She looked back at me. I nodded to her imperceptibly.

"Come with me, trooper." Yalasa said flatly, the male synthesised voice masking the determination and frustration I was sure she was feeling.

I followed Yalasa over to Captain Terrik and Skeen. Yalasa addressed Captain Terrik directly, informing him that there were some properties that our squad had not managed to search. She asked Captain Terrik if she could lead part of the squad to search these properties. Yalasa had been very clever. She had gone right over Skeen's head and out-manoeuvred him by speaking to Captain Terrik directly. She had circumvented Skeen's authority without contradicting his decisions or orders. I was impressed with her astuteness and tactical awareness.

Captain Terrik approved Yalasa's request and ordered her to choose four troopers for the assignment. However, he also ordered her to stay close to the Cantina area. Captain Terrik had received reports of suspicious sightings and activity in the area. He wanted our squad close in case we had to intervene. I am not sure why he specifically wanted our squad. Perhaps it is because we had been in the heaviest of the action on the Tantive and throughout the Tatooine missions. We had certainly proven our ability to serve the Emperor in the most heated situations.

Yalasa ordered me, Timor and Speeler to accompany her. We eagerly followed her. It was clear that she had selected those troopers she could depend on most. She also took the technical expert, Felth, with us. This time she would leave no door unopened. Captain Terrik led Skeen and the other half of our squad away, leaving a squad from another company to man the check-point.

Yalasa led us towards the search area. This time there was no delay. She ordered us to run at double-time. We sprinted towards the search area, pushing and barging anyone aside who got in our way. Anyone not quick enough to let us pass would find themselves slammed against a wall or thrown to the ground. We ensured that nothing would slow us down.

When we reached the first property which Skeen had bypassed, Yalasa gave us her instructions. Speeler was to stand guard at the door not allowing anyone to enter or exit. Yalasa and Timor would search the living areas and deal with any occupants there. I would search the rest of the property with Felth. Yalasa ordered Felth to take instructions from me if not in her immediate presence for the duration of the search operation.

I felt honoured that Yalasa had given me a position of responsibility in the squad. She clearly felt she could depend on me to command the untried Felth. On the other hand, she would ensure that Timor carried out the mission objective as efficiently as possible without getting otherwise distracted as he sometimes had in the past.

The first property had a blast door that was electronically sealed. Felth deployed some specialised equipment to short circuit the lock. Just before breaking the lock, Yalasa gave us our orders.

"Make this quick. Search all rooms and closets. Break in any closed doors even if they are not locked. Meet any armed resistance with deadly force."

Felth opened the door and we rushed in. We were met by a flustered male human merchant who demanded to know who we were. Yalasa responded by striking him in the face with her rifle butt.

"Stand aside!" She ordered and dragged the whimpering man into the downstairs living area.

I charged upstairs with Felth on my heels. I approached the first door which was closed. It was not a metal door so I kicked it in, knocking it off its hinges. Inside was a terrified pre-adolescent girl sitting on her bed. She looked up in shock.

"Are there any droids in here?" I said. She just shook her head, staring at us and quivering in fear. I saw there was a closet in the room so I smashed the door in. I was determined to obey the orders of my commanding NCO to the letter. The droids were not there, so I moved on to the other rooms, breaking in any doors that were not already open. In one room, there was a metal door with a standard lock. So I blasted it with my blaster to gain entry. We did not find the droids there.

There was only one electronically sealed blast door in the property that we could not open with brute force. At first, the merchant refused to open it. But when Yalasa's put the muzzle of her blaster against the side of his spouse's head, he soon changed his mind. He opened the door for us to reveal a room full of merchandise, money and valuable items. It was probably full of contraband. But we were not here for that. We did not find the droids, so we left. In some senses, it may well have been that merchant's lucky day.

We moved on to the other properties Skeen had missed, following the same mode of operations. Each time, we smashed in or short-circuited the door of the main entrance, before charging in and searching all rooms until we were satisfied the droids were not there. We smashed in any closed doors to ensure that we could enter the area behind as quickly as possible, reducing the possibility of escape should the droids or the rebels be present. Where we could not kick a door in or blast it open with a blaster bolt, Felth opened it for us with his specialised equipment. Where properties were occupied, we pushed any occupants aside, threatening them with our blasters. We did not have to kill anyone. No one we encountered was foolish enough to oppose armed stormtroopers.

We did find some droids. But not the ones we were looking for. Where a droid had a slight resemblance to the description of the droids were searching for, we destroyed it and took note of the owners details just to be sure.

After searching a handful of properties, we had still not found the droids. We were about to move onto the next property, when Yalasa received a message from Captain Terrik. He said he was on his way to meet an informant who would give him information on the location of the droids. We were ordered to meet him there with all urgency.

Yalasa immediately ordered us to follow her to the rendez-vous point. We sprinted through the narrow streets of Mos Eisley as fast as we could run, shoving anyone aside who did not move out of the way quick enough. In our haste to reach the meeting point, we sent some people flying, slammed others against walls and crashed through market stalls. We were determined that nothing would stop us from being present when the droids were captured.

We arrived at the rendez-vous point just in time to see Captain Terrik speaking to a hooded alien who was pointing to a docking bay entrance. With the squad at full strength, Captain Terrik ordered us to docking bay at the double.

We stormed into the docking bay to find a young man in dark waist-coat fiddling with something on the outside of a YT-1300 Light Freighter. Captain Terrik shouted at him, ordering him to surrender. The man did not obey Captain Terrik's instructions. Instead he shouted something and then pulled out a DL-44 Heavy blaster pistol.

Immediately, we found ourselves under heavy fire from the man with blaster pistol and the laser cannons of the freighter. The heavy blaster and laser cannon bolts impacted on the stone archway of the docking bay entrance, throwing masonry and troopers from the squad in all directions. I was thrown forward onto my chest as a laser cannon bolt exploded against the wall just behind me. All around there was confusion. Troopers were lying sprawled everywhere. The troopers who had not been thrown to the ground opened fire on the ship with their blasters.

By the time I managed to get to my feet and open fire, the freighter had lifted off and was speeding away into the blue Tatooine sky. We continued firing, but it was useless. Our blaster bolts were deflected of the freighter shields and did no damage. Soon the freighter disappeared from sight. We could only hope that the fleet would intercept the rebels before they jumped into hyperspace. But we heard later that even the fleet could not stop them. The mission to find the droids was a disaster and a failure for all concerned.

Despite the heavy firepower deployed against us by the freighter, the rebels did not cause any casualties among our troopers. The blaster and laser cannon bolts did not hit any troopers directly, while the shrapnel from the impacts on the walls did not penetrate our armour.

Nevertheless, we did suffer one fatal casualty. Captain Terrik was dead. He had been shot in the back by a stormtrooper E-11 blaster rifle. It looked like someone from our squad had shot him. Not only did we have a deserter, but it seemed we also had a traitor in our ranks. In my view, Captain Terrik's death had to be a deliberate act of murder. No stormtrooper would be so incompetent as to hit him by accident. We had no idea who did it. It truly was a black day for the stormtrooper corps.

The only other casualty was Skeen. We found him sitting against a wall of the docking bay. He was alive and unharmed, but in a trance-like coma. It looked like his mind had gone into meltdown.

Being the highest ranking trooper in the area, Yalasa reported the failure of the mission to central command and confirmed the death of Captain Terrik and the apparent insanity of Skeen. Yalasa and I looked at each other through the visors of our helmets. I could not see her face, but I could easily imagine the boiling anger that she must be feeling at that moment. I was not looking forward to seeing how her rage would manifest itself when we returned to the requisitioned house.

As it turned out, we did not have to return to the house that evening. With the mission at an end, a shuttle was sent to pick us up. It landed in the docking bay where we were gathered. We boarded the shuttle, dragging the bodies of Skeen and Captain Terrik in with us. Only Felth remained behind as he was from the local garrison.

We sat in the shuttle, heads bowed in silence. No one said a word. The mission was a failure and our commanding officer was dead, apparently assassinated by one of our own. We were returning to the Star Destroyer in the greatest shame and dishonour possible. We all wondered what fate would await us when we returned to our unit.

* * *

_IMPERIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SECTION_

_REVIEW OF JOURNAL – TROOPER LC-9087_

_The subject indicates that the incompetence of trooper NR-7054 (aka Skeen) may have significantly contributed to the failure of mission. Trooper NR-7054 has since been removed from duty. We previously recommended that trooper NR-7054 be relieved from duty. Unfortunately, the recommendation could not be implemented soon enough to impact the mission._

_The subject indicates that trooper RC-5342 (aka Yalasa) has performed well in her duties as squad corporal. Normally we would recommend that she be given a promotion to replace NR-7054 as squad sergeant. However, since trooper RC-5342 is of the female sex and is unlikely to have sufficient competence to take on the role of squad leader, we recommend replacing trooper NR-7054 with a male sergeant from an outside source._


	15. Investigation

CHAPTER 15 - INVESTIGATION

When the shuttle landed in the star destroyer docking bay, we put on our helmets and waited for the shuttle doors to open. Apart from the dead Captain Terrik and the catatonic Skeen, there were seven of us. There was Yalasa, the only female trooper in the squad, and the six male troopers; myself, Timor, Speeler, Davos, Dalanna and Bloor.

As we waited to exit the shuttle, I expected to be met by a squadron of stormtroopers who would escort us into detention for failing to complete mission 4219A. But that did not happen. Instead, we were only met by a medical droid, a recovery droid, two hover gurneys and four navy troopers clad, as usual, in their black jump suits and black helmets. But they were not there for us. They had come to remove the bodies of Skeen and Captain Terrik. Apart from that, the only people in the docking bay were the usual maintenance crews and guards we would expect to see at that time of the day cycle.

Yalasa leading the way, we made our way in silence to the stormtrooper section of the star destroyer. There we handed in our weapons and armour in the armoury as usual and went to the infirmary to be checked over by the droids. Timor was taken as priority because of his injured shoulder. We didn't spend long there. Apart from a few minor injuries, there was little for the droids to treat. The droids inspected any wounds we had and gave us some injections. We sat in silence as we were treated. Even Timor stayed quiet. None of us was in the mood to speak as we contemplated the failure of our last mission.

After being treated, each of us went to the changing area where we put on our off-duty jump-suits. Normally, we would have gone directly to the mess to eat our rations, before retiring to our sleeping quarters. But this time, Yalasa ordered us to wait in the changing area of the medical centre until we were all present. She had obviously received separate orders while we were in the shuttle.

When the last trooper arrived in the changing area, Yalasa ordered us to march in single file to the training/parade section of the ship which was adjacent to the stormtrooper area. We marched formally through the corridors. Other off-duty stormtroopers in jumpsuits stood aside and looked at us as we passed. To see us march formally through the stormtrooper section of the ship could only mean one thing. We had failed a mission and we were marching to meet our punishment. It was a very shameful moment for us all.

Yalasa led us into a small square room in the training area. The room was principally used for hand-to-hand training or to allow us to simulate combat scenarios in restricted spaces often found in starships. It was often furnished with mats, furniture and objects pertaining to the relevant training exercise. But today it was completely empty. We were surrounded by a bare metal floor, a metal ceiling and metal walls. It was cramped, desolate and claustrophobic. But our minds were used these conditions. After all, we are used to being encased in stormtrooper armour. We were all used to being physically cut off from the outside world and having our space restricted in our service to the Emperor.

Yalasa ordered us to form up in a line and stand to attention. The seven of us stood completely still and in silence. We stood there at attention without moving a muscle. We were used to standing in silence for long periods of time. But this time, we did not have our armour to help us and we were tired from the previous mission. We had to rely on our training and conditioning to stay motionless and silent.

I repeated my oath to the Emperor in my head as I stood there. I felt that we deserved this punishment for our failure. I was determined to wash away the shame that we had brought on our unit. Even if it cost my own life.

We stood at attention, motionless and in silence, for over two standard hours. There was no clock or time measuring device in the room. But stormtroopers are good at measuring the passage of time. Often we have to stand guard for hours on end. We can estimate accurately how much time passes.

Eventually, three black clad officers entered the training room and stood in front of us. Lieutenant Denlin, Commander Nahdonnis Parji and Commander Daine Jir had come to see us.

It did not surprise me that Lieutenant Denlin was there. He was our platoon commander. It was the presence of the other two officers that I found curious.

It did not surprise me so much to see Commander Praji. He was Lord Vader's aid and responsible for the Tatooine mission. I assumed he had come to ensure that we were suitably disciplined for our failure to complete order 4219A. However, Commander Praji did not speak to us. It was Commander Daine Jir who stepped forward to address us.

It did surprise me that Commander Jir was here. Although we had failed a critical priority mission, it seemed unusual to me that such a high ranking officer would be present to discipline a lowly stormtrooper squad. Normally, a Captain or major would carry out such a duty.

Commander Jir was the highest ranked officer in command of the stormtrooper corps on the star destroyer. Unlike many imperial officers, Commander Jir did not owe his position to family connections in the imperial administration and aristocracy. He used to be a regular trooper like ourselves and had worked his way up the ranks on merit. He is known to be outspoken in his opinions, even in the presence of Lord Vader himself. We have a lot of respect and admiration for Commander Jir. He is a great inspiration for all of us. He is living proof that any of us could all reach a high rank in the imperial military if we serve the Emperor well.

Commander Jir did not waste time and got straight to the point.

"As a result of Captain Terrik's death on Tatooine, we are required to carry out a formal investigation. After that you will be subject to the usual Decimation Process as punishment for your failure to locate and detain the droids under critical priority order 4219A. One member of the squad will be held responsible for the failure and will be executed."

It did not surprise me that there would be a Decimation Process. If a stormtrooper unit fails to achieve a high priority mission, at least one tenth of the unit is executed. Usually the execution is carried out by the trooper's own squad to remind everyone of the price of failure. I have witnessed a handful of executions take place. But I had never been subject to a Decimation Procedure before.

For very serious failures, sometimes more than one tenth of the squad can be executed. In theory, in extreme cases, a whole squad could be executed if the failure was regarded as serious enough. In the shuttle, I speculated to myself that we could lose perhaps three or four troopers during the Decimation Process given the importance of the mission. But our officers had judged that one execution would be sufficient in this case. I reflected that we had been let off lightly.

"As you know, we would normally expect to carry out the Decimation Process immediately." Commander Jir paced up and down our line, his hands behind his back. "However, since, we need you all alive during the investigation phase, we will only carry out the Decimation Process after we have questioned all of you."

Commander Jir stopped and paused for a moment. He looked at every one of us.

"It is of critical importance that you are back on normal duty as soon as possible. So we wish to complete your questioning and the Decimation Process within two days. Lieutenant Denlin will provide you with further orders."

Commander Jir turned and walked towards the exit with Commander Praji. It was clear that Commander Parji would not address us. He was only there to observe.

After the two commanders exited the room, Lieutenant Denlin addressed us. He told us that we would be interviewed one at a time. In the meantime, everyone would wait in the training room standing at attention until everyone had been seen. I assumed that lengthy period of waiting would be regarded as part of our punishment for failing the mission and allowing our commanding officer to be killed.

Over an hour later, two armoured stormtroopers from a different company entered the training room. Lieutenant Denlin ordered Yalasa to accompany them. She marched through the exit, flanked by the two stormtroopers. While she was gone, we continued to stand to attention. Lieutenant Denlin stood to attention in front of us.

Over one standard hour later, Yalasa returned. Yalasa saluted and relieved Lieutenant Denlin, who left the training room. I presumed that having to wait for Yalasa was Lieutenant Denlin's punishment for our failure. Although he was not involved in the mission in Mos Eisley, I assumed he would still be held partly responsible since our squad belonged to his platoon.

Yalasa ordered Speeler to go for questioning. Speeler saluted and marched out of the room, accompanied by the two troopers. We all continued to stand to attention. Over one hour later, Speeler returned. Speeler saluted to Yalasa and returned to his place in line.

Yalasa ordered me to accompany the troopers. I saluted, stepped forward, turned and marched out of the room. The two troopers escorted me to the exit of the stormtrooper section of the ship. They handed me over to two navy troopers wearing the usual black jump-suits and black helmets.

I was not regarded as a captive. The navy troopers were simply an escort. A stormtrooper not in armour and not on duty is prohibited from entering any part of the ship outside the stormtrooper section unless escorted by appropriate guards or officers.

After a relatively short distance, the guards showed me into a briefing room where four officers sat behind a long table. Two of the chairs were occupied by officers in the uniforms of the ISB. The other two chairs were occupied by Commander Praji and Commander Jir.

Again, I was surprised to see such high ranking officers at an investigation involving a lowly trooper like myself. I wondered if they both would attend every meeting. Or whether they would only attend selected ones. The navy troopers exited the room and the door slid shut. I stood to attention in front of the four men seated at the table.

I was not afraid of the investigation or the questioning process. I knew I was loyal and that I had committed no conscious act of treachery. I knew nothing about the death of Captain Terrik. If the investigators found that I was in some way corrupted by treasonous thoughts, then I would gladly submit myself to any procedure required to cleanse myself, even if that meant my own death. If I could not serve the Emperor as his loyal servant, then my life had no meaning or purpose.

Commander Jir opened the meeting. He explained that the purpose was to investigate the death of Captain Terrik. He stated thet the meeting would last no longer than one standard imperial hour as it was important that we were back on duty as soon as possible. I had the feeling that he speaking more to the ISB officers than to me.

Commander Jir then turned to address me directly.

"When the ISB officers ask you questions, you will only answer if I order you to do so." Said Commander Jir firmly. The two ISB officers did not look very pleased with that statement. But they did not express any objections.

"Yes, sir. I replied.

"If I order you to stay silent, you will not answer their questions."

"Yes, sir."

The two ISB officers started the questioning. They asked about the Tatooine mission in general and the events in Mos Eisley. Commander Jir ordered me to answer and I did so as concisely and with as few words as possible, only giving yes or no answers where required. During the questioning, I reiterated the events that I had previously described in my journal.

The ISB officers asked me if I knew who killed Captain Terrik. I confirmed that I did not.

When they asked me about my personal relationship with other members of the squad like Yalasa, Timor and Noremac, Commander Jir ordered me not to answer. He stated that the questions were irrelevant to the investigation.

The two ISB officers demanded that I should answer the questions regarding my relationships with other squad members. There followed a heated argument between the ISB officers on one side and Commander Praji on the other. The ISB and Lord Vader's name were mentioned several times during the discussion. The ISB officers threatened further intervention from the ISB. Commander Praji reminded them that Lord Vader wished the investigation completed as soon as possible so that the troopers could be assigned to their new duties without delay. Commander Praji went on to insist that only relevant questions should be asked during the questioning.

After a couple of minutes of discussion, the ISB officers reluctantly accepted that I should not answer the questions prohibited by Commander Jir.

I realised now why Commander Jir and Commander Praji were present during the questioning. They clearly wanted the investigation to be completed quickly so our squad could get back on duty. Even senior officers would often be nervous about dealing with the ISB and would let them do what they want. But Commander Jir and Commander Praji were clearly not intimidated by the ISB. They were willing to challenge the ISB officers if they believed their interference was unwarranted and unnecessary. Only those with the seniority, confidence and connections of officers such as Commanders Jir and Praji could stand up to the ISB.

The ISB officers then asked me about my loyalty to the Empire. Commander Jir ordered me to stay silent. He stated that my journal and psychological reports clearly demonstrated that I was loyal to the Emperor. He told them to ask their next question.

The ISB officers asked me if anyone had acted strangely or disloyal. After receiving permission to answer, I spoke about the desertion of Zarin and the strange behaviour of Skeen. They asked follow up questions on these matters. I responded as openly as I could.

The ISB officers then asked me to speculate who may have shot Captain Terrik. This time Commander Jir ordered me to answer. I answered with honesty that I thought Skeen was the most likely suspect. The ISB officers started asking me more questions about Skeen and his behaviour.

Right in the middle of the questioning on Skeen, Commander Jir stood up and announced that the hour long time limit set for the questioning process had passed and that my interview was at an end. Commander Jir ordered me to return to the waiting area in the stormtrooper section of the ship.

I saluted, turned and walked towards the exited. As I walked out the door to meet my two navy trooper escorts, I heard the ISB officers order me to stop. I did not stop as they were not my commanding officers. Since Commander Jir did not countermand his original order, I continued walking out of the room. Another heated discussion commenced, but that was no concern of mine. The door closed and I walked back to the stormtrooper area with my escorts.

When I returned to the room in the training area, the other troopers were still standing to attention. I saluted to Yalasa and took my place in the line. Yalasa ordered trooper Davos to go for questioning.

We waited at attention as Davos, Bloor, Timor and Delanna marched away one at a time to be questioned. When the last of the troopers returned over five hours later, Yalasa ordered us to the mess to take our rations.

We marched to the mess and ate our rations in silence. I briefly glanced at my fellow troopers eating silently at the table: Yalasa, Timor, Speeler, Bloor, Delanna and Davos. They were all loyal solders of the Empire. Tomorrow one of us would be condemned to die. I decided there and then that I would volunteer to be executed. Taking responsibility for our failure and sacrificing my life to save my fellow troopers would be an honourable death.

Together, we all walked back to the sleeping quarters. The day had been exhausting. We had been on mission in Tatooine, been questioned by the ISB and had to stand to attention for over twelve hours. I lay in my bunk and tried to get some sleep. My thoughts drifted to the upcoming Decimation Process. This could well be the last time sleeping on this bunk. The thought of my own death did not worry me one bit. I drifted quickly into a deep and peaceful sleep.

Tomorrow the decimation process would take place. One of us would die and we would wash away the shame and dishonour of our squad. Tomorrow, I would be ready to perform my one last duty to the Empire.

* * *

_IMPERIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL UNIT_

_REVIEW OF JOURNAL - LC-9087_

_The fact that the troopers were able to stand to attention for over twelve hours, despite the physical and psychological exhaustion resulting from the Tatooine mission, demonstrates that our current conditioning and drug treatment process is working effectively._

_Also, the subject's willingness to volunteer himself to be executed even though he was not directly responsible for the mission failure demonstrates that our indoctrination and mental conditioning process is operating successfully._

_The medication supplied in the trooper's rations was successful in ensuring that they stayed calm and were subject to a good nights sleep in anticipation of the decimation process that took place the next day._


	16. Decimation

CHAPTER 16 –DECIMATION

After a good night sleep, I awoke with the other troopers. I did not need reminding that it was the day of our decimation. We all went to the fresher and put on our off-duty jump suits. Then we all went to the mess together to eat our morning rations. There was no one else in the mess hall. On the morning of a decimation selection ceremony, the squad to be decimated was required to eat alone.

Later that day, the decimation selection process would take place. One trooper would be selected to die as punishment for our failure to complete mission 4219A.

I glanced round the table at my squad mates as we ate in silence.

I looked at Yalasa and Timor, the only surviving troopers from the original squad led by Noremac. Before the Tantive mission, I rarely had personal contact with them. Now I felt a bond of loyalty to them that was unimaginable only a few days ago. We have been through a lot together. They are experienced and loyal troopers. The Emperor would need them in the future.

I considered Speeler. I didn't know him well. But he had shown himself to be a reliable and dependable trooper during the Tatooine missions. He had always done his duty and followed orders given to him without hesitation. He was a model stormtrooper.

Then there was Davos, Bloor and Dalanna. Although they had taken part in all the major Tatooine missions as part of the same squad, I had not served with them directly. However, I had developed a loose bond with them during the days in Mos Eisley. The desertion of Zarin, the failure of mission 4219A, the death of Captain Terrik and the apparent madness of Skeen had created a strong sense of solidarity between us. They were good soldiers.

When I considered my six squad mates, I knew that none deserved to take responsibility for the failure of the mission. All were good soldiers and loyal to the Empire. All deserved another opportunity to show their worth to the Empire in the future. I was determined to give them that opportunity.

We were permitted to speak about the decimation process as we ate together in the mess. In fact, it was regarded as part of the procedure. The troopers were encouraged to work out among themselves who would take responsibility for the mission failure and be subject to execution.

In some cases, the failure of the mission resulted from the direct incompetence or failure of an individual trooper. In that case, the trooper who directly caused the failure of the mission would be expected to offer his life as a point of honour.

In our case, it was not clear cut who should take responsibility. The failure of the mission could not be attributed to the actions of any individual trooper currently present. One of the troopers in our squad would have to take responsibility for the mission failure. I was determined that I would be that trooper. My death would wash away the dishonour of the squad and save the lives of my fellow troopers. It would be an honourable death.

As we ate, Yalasa addressed us.

"Listen very carefully, everyone." She looked at each one of us in turn before continuing. "I am the highest ranked trooper in the squad. It is my duty to take responsibility for the mission failure. None of you should offer to sacrifice your lives. Is that clear?"

Although it was worded like an instruction, Yalasa had not given us an order. It was a request. Yalasa, as commanding NCO, was prohibited from ordering us to either accept or refuse responsibility for the mission failure during the decimation process. She could ask us to let her take responsibility for the failure. But she could not compel us to comply.

All of us looked at her, but didn't say a word.

"Is that understood?" Said Yalasa firmly.

A few of the men mumbled a "Yes, sir."

We all understood completely that Yalasa intended to sacrifice herself for us. I didn't reply. I had no intention of letting Yalasa take responsibility for the mission failure. But I wasn't going to tell her or the others that.

We didn't speak after that. We just ate our rations, each of us immersed in our own thoughts. Even Timor was quiet. For once, even Timor realised that jokes were not appropriate.

After we all finished, we made our way to the armoury to collect our blasters and stormtrooper armour. Our blasters were not loaded. The decimation selection process was one of the few instances when we were issued with unloaded blasters. However, the blasters were necessary as they carried an important ceremonial function.

We put on our armour in silence. Soon we were all standing in a circle in the armoury, our helmets in our hand. Each one of us was aware that the next time we took off these helmets, one of us would be condemned to death.

Yalasa looked at Timor.

"Why don't you give me one last joke, Timor." She smiled at him. "This is your last chance."

Timor looked at Yalasa and smiled back.

"I Just want to mention one thing if you have to pick between us, Yalasa.

"Yes, Timor?" Yalasa folded her arms and waited for Timor to reply with an expectant, but sceptical, expression on her face.

"Just remember that Anal-boy there has a tiny cock." Timor said pointing at me. "My cock, on the other hand, is enormous."

We all chuckled. Yalasa smiled and shook her head. Even I laughed.

"Well, I suppose that is half-right." Yalasa said. We all chuckled again. I also joined in again, although I did find myself wondering which part of Timor's statement Yalasa regarded as true.

Yalasa's expression turned serious again. She looked at each one of us.

"Remember. I will not need to choose between you." Said Yalasa sternly. "You will not step forward. I will offer my life for our failure. The commanding officer will have to accept. I will die, you will all continue to serve the Emperor and a couple of you may even get a promotion. Is that clear?"

We all bowed our heads, not wanting to answer.

"And that especially goes for you." She said pointing to me." And it goes for you too, Timor."

"Hey, I am not going to volunteer for execution." Replied Timor raising a hand to Yalasa. "I'm on 99 kills and I'm really keen to get my 100th kill as soon as possible. In fact, your execution will be my 100th kill. So I'm really looking forward to killing you tomorrow."

Yalasa looked at him with a stern expression on her face.

"Good." She said. "Then it is settled."

Yalasa took her helmet in both hands and raised it to her head.

"Are you ready?"

We all nodded and put on our helmets. We formed up into pairs. Yalasa leading us, we marched towards the training area and the decimation selection process.

We marched into the training hall where the decimation selection process would be held. Four groups of soldiers and officers formed a loose square. They all were positioned to face into the centre of the square where we would stand. The three sides of the square to the rear, left and right were made up by the other squads from our stormtrooper platoon. They stood in ranks of two soldiers deep, wore full stormtrooper armour and held loaded blasters.

The forth side of the square was made up of about a dozen imperial officers from various arms of the military and administration come to observe or act as witness. I noticed that Commanders Daine Jir and Commander Praji were present. Commander Jir had decided to take responsibility for the process for some reason. Normally it would have been carried out by our company Captain.

We marched into the centre of the square and halted. We stood in a single line with our blasters held across our chest in the guard position, facing the group of officers.

After a minute or so, Yalasa marched out of the line and turned to face us. Commander Jir walked forward and stood beside Yalasa. We all stood to attention and saluted. Yalasa and Commander Jir returned the salute.

Commander Jir made a statement confirming to all those present that our squad had failed critical mission 4219A. In order to reaffirm and demonstrate our loyalty to the Emperor we were to be subject to the decimation process. In consequence, one member of the squad would be executed as punishment for failing to complete the mission.

Commander Jir looked at us, before addressing us again.

"If any troopers wish to declare yourselves as responsible for the mission failure, you must now step forward."

I stepped forward without hesitation.

The selection process was quite straight forward. One trooper would be selected for execution. He would be taken away, detained and publically executed the following day.

If no troopers stepped forward to volunteer themselves, it would be an indication that the commanding NCO of the squad was to blame. In this case, the NCO had to offer to take the responsibility. The NCO's commanding officer can accept or refuse the offer. If he accepts, as normally occurs, the NCO is executed. That is what Yalasa, as our squad NCO, was expecting to happen. Having volunteered myself for execution, I had spoiled Yalasa's plan to sacrifice herself.

If only one trooper stepped forward and offered to take responsibility, the volunteer would be executed. This indeed happened regularly where the failure of an order could be specifically attributed to the actions or incompetence of one particular trooper. But sometimes, such as in my case, individual troopers volunteered their lives to save the other troopers in their squad even when not personally responsible. I expected to be the sole volunteer and thus subject to execution.

However, if more than one trooper offered to take responsibility, then the NCO would have to choose one of the troopers who volunteered. And that is exactly what happened. When I stepped forward, I heard other troopers from the squad stepping forward as well. My plan to be the only volunteer had failed.

"It looks like your whole squad has volunteered to take responsibility for the failure, corporal." Said Commander Jir, with a bemused expression on his face. "You must pick one."

At that moment I realised what had happened. Every trooper in the squad had volunteered themselves for execution. I could not believe it. I don't think Yalasa did either. She stood facing us for a moment. She had neither wanted nor expected one trooper to volunteer, never mind the whole squad. Yalasa turned to face Commander Jir.

"Permission to speak, sir." Said Yalasa through the filtered male voice of her helmet.

"Granted."

"I am, and always will be, a loyal servant of the Galactic Empire." I could hear the slight hesitance in Yalasa's voice. I couldn't help gulping and swallowing hard as Yalasa commenced the litany of acceptance that was ritually spoken by troopers who surrender their lives as part of the decimation process. I wanted her to stop. But I knew she would not. She continued pronouncing the words that would condemn her to death.

"There is only one law: Obedience to the Emperor. There is only one punishment for failure: Death. I have failed the Emperor. I offer to take responsibility for the failure of critical order 4219A. I offer my weapon as a symbol of obedience and submission."

Yalasa bowed her head, held out her blaster with both hands and offered it to Commander Jir. It took all my self-control and conditioning to stand still and in silence as I watched on.

"I offer my life as punishment for my failure." Yalasa stood with her blaster held out, awaiting Commander jir's response. Commander Jir contemplated Yalasa for a moment. It was only a couple of seconds. But for me it seemed an eternity. Then he simply said.

"Your offer is rejected, corporal. Choose someone else."

For a moment, Yalasa stood motionless. She had probably not contemplated the possibility of her offer being rejected. It also surprised me. An offer of responsibility from an NCO during the decimation selection process was rarely rejected.

After a few seconds, Yalasa saluted to Commander Jir and turned to face us. Yalasa looked at us for a short time. She would have to choose one of us to die. She would have to decide who would be saved and who would be sacrificed. Commander Jir made no effort to hurry her decision.

Yalasa marched resolutely forward and stopped right in front of me. Relief flashed through me for a moment as I believed that Yalasa would pick me as her volunteer. I was wrong.

"Step back, trooper." Yalasa ordered me. Obediently I stepped back. I realised my plan had failed. One of my fellow troopers would have to die instead.

One by one, Yalasa then proceeded to stand in front of Davos, Dalanna and Bloor. She ordered each of them to step back. Each of them did so obediently.

There was now only Timor and Speeler to choose between. Yalasa contemplated them both for a moment. The whole room stood in silence as they waited for her to make her decision. To save one and condemn the other. Then she finally made her choice. She stepped in front of Timor.

"Step back, trooper."

Timor obediently stepped back. Only Speeler was left. He would give his life for the honour of the squad. Tomorrow we would publically execute him by firing squad. Tomorrow I would kill him.

Yalasa stepped in front of Speeler and addressed him formally.

"Trooper. Do you accept responsibility for the failure of order 4219A?"

Speeler responded without hesitation.

"I am, and always will be, a loyal servant of the Galactic Empire." Speeler began the litany of acceptance, his voice confident and firm. "There is only one law: Obedience to the Emperor. There is only one punishment for failure: Death. I have failed the Emperor. I offer to take responsibility for the failure of critical order 4219A. I offer my weapon as a symbol of obedience and submission."

Speeler bowed his head, held out his blaster with both hands and offered it to Yalasa.

"I offer my life as punishment for my failure."

Yalasa stood motionless for a couple of seconds. Then she took the blaster from Speeler's hands and handed it to Timor who briefly stepped forward to take it.

"We accept your offer, trooper." Said Yalasa. "Remove your helmet."

Speeler brought himself to attention and saluted. Yalasa returned the salute. Then Speeler took off his helmet and handed it to Bloor who briskly stepped forward to take it from him. By removing his helmet, Speeler had officially renounced his position as an imperial stormtrooper.

Yalasa turned and marched back to face Commander Jir.

"Trooper Speeler has accepted responsibility for the failure of mission 4219A, sir."

"Very good." Commander Jir said solemnly.

Commander Jir stepped in front of Speeler to address him directly.

"In punishment for your failure, you will be executed tomorrow by firing squad at the mid-point of the day cycle. In order to allow you to take responsibility as squad leader, I am promoting you to the rank of sergeant. However, as you are no longer a member of the Stormtrooper corps, you have no right to give orders or receive the benefits of such rank."

"Yes, sir". Speeler saluted again and continued to stand at attention. Commander Jir turned to face Yalasa.

"Corporal. Take the prisoner to his detention cell."

"Yes, sir." Replied Yalasa. "Permission to make a request with respect to the prisoner."

"Permission granted." Commander Jir put his hands behind his back and waited patiently.

"Sergeant Speeler is a loyal soldier of the Empire who has demonstrated unwavering dedication in carrying out his duties and fulfilling the will of the Emperor." Said Yalasa." I request that Sergeant Speeler be entered in the archive of imperial heros. I also request that any family he may have be informed that he fell in battle saving the lives of his fellow troopers."

"Your request is granted."

Normally, when a trooper was executed as part of the decimation process, he is not entered in the archive of imperial heros. His family is informed that he was killed by decimation. Death by decimation is regarded as an honourable death as it implied that the trooper willingly surrendered his life rather than live with the dishonour of his failure. However, the family still has to live with the fact that their family member has failed the Empire.

But there is an exception. If permitted by a senior officer, the trooper could be entered in the archive of heros and his family informed that he had fallen in battle saving his fellow troopers. That allowed the family to remember the fallen trooper with pride. This usually occurred when a loyal and dedicated soldier, such as Speeler, sacrificed himself willingly and selflessly for the lives and honour of his squad.

Yalasa saluted Commander Jir. Then she turned and stood in front of us. She ordered us to form up around the prisoner. With the helmetless Speeler in the middle, Yalasa led us at marching pace out of the training area. We escorted Speeler to his detention cell.

The decimation selection process was over. Tomorrow we would publicly execute Speeler by firing squad. Tomorrow, I would have to kill a loyal soldier of the Empire.

* * *

_IMPERIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SECTION _

_REVIEW OF JOURNAL – TROOPER LC-9087_

_The subject indicates that the squad members may have developed a strong attachment to Trooper RC-5342 (aka Yalasa), their female NCO. This development was unexpected given the hostility that male troopers tend demonstrate towards female NCOs and officers. It appears that the reduction on hormone blockers in their rations may be having an effect on their judgement. The situation is to be monitored to ensure that the troopers' dedication to the Empire is not weakened by mistaken devotion to their female NCO._

_The subject indicates that both the subject and trooper RC-5342 (aka Yalasa) may be experiencing mild suicidal tendencies, possibly resulting from depression caused by the recent events on the Tatooine. Both attempted to surrender their lives as part of the decimation process when such a sacrifice was not in the interests of the Empire. It is recommended that we review the balance of treatment in their rations to ensure that any risk of depression is minimised._

_The subject, RC-5342 (aka Yalasa) and NR-8306 (aka Timor) will soon be transferred to the Death Star to guard Leia Organa during her period of interrogation. The balance of drugs in their rations, and that of the rest of the squad, should be reviewed and adjusted to prepare them for their new duties and environment._


	17. Contemplations

**Author's note**

**Many thanks to author Ladyofdarkstar for allowing me to mention her original character, Jentessa Motti, in my story. You can read more about Jentessa Motti in the stories Family Ties and Family Ties II by Ladyofdarkstar. I fully recommend reading them as they are very entertaining.**

CHAPTER 17 – CONTEMPLATIONS

We escorted Speeler to his detention cell. It was not a prisoner escort. It was more like a guard of honour. Speeler marched in the centre of our formation, his head held high and proud. He was a trooper who had done his duty for the Empire. He would die with honour. Part of me felt envious of him.

We reached his detention cell and Speeler entered. Yalasa secured the sliding blast door behind him. Yalasa and I took our place on guard by the door. We saluted to the other four squad mates. They all saluted in return, before marching off to the armoury.

Yalasa and I stayed on guard for eight hours. All troopers in the squad would take turns to guard Speeler's cell in pairs. Each guard shift would last eight hours. After all troopers from our squad took their turn, two troopers from another squad in our platoon would guard him for the final couple of hours until we came to collect him for his execution.

Yalasa and I stood guard for the whole of our shift without talking or moving. We were not allowed to talk with anyone, except as part of our duty. It was prohibited to speak to the prisoner. As far as the Empire was concerned, Speeler was already dead.

There was no real security purpose for guarding the prisoner. It was effectively an honour guard. The action of guarding the prisoner was symbolic, constantly reminding us of the price of failure. On the other hand, I am sure that Speeler felt comforted by the fact that his ex-squad mates were outside his cell, even if he could not speak to us. It would have certainly comforted me if I was in his position.

Compared to some detention cells in the Empire, the cell used for decimation volunteers was relatively comfortable. The volunteer had hygiene facilities, a bunk with bed sheets and even a small fresher. Some imperial texts are available in case the volunteer wished to read words of wisdom from the Emperor or other imperial philosophers before he dies. The volunteer also receives meals that are more savoury than what we are used to. He no longer receives the official stormtrooper rations. Instead he receives food that is more commonly served to fleet personal

As soon as the volunteer enters the cell, he is required to remove his armour, wash himself and put on a fresh jumpsuit. The day of the execution, he is required to scrub himself thoroughly and put on new clothing. It symbolises washing away the dishonour and shame of his squad before he carries out his one final duty and sacrifice to the Emperor.

After our guard shift was over, Timor and Bloor relieved us. Yalasa and I went to the armoury where we removed our armour and weapons. We put on our off-duty jump suits. Then we went to the mess to take our rations.

In the mess, there were only four other off-duty troopers there. Yalasa collected her rations and chose a place as far away from them as possible. I went with her. The other troopers glanced over at us and whispered to each other. We ignored them.

When I was standing on guard outside Speeler's cell, I asked myself why Yalasa had chosen me to stand guard with her. She could have chosen anyone of us. As we slowly ate our rations, the reason came clear. She wanted to talk.

Things had changed since Yalasa had stormed out of the mess after the Tantive mission. Then we were equal in rank. Now she was a corporal and my commanding NCO. Then we were strangers who had lost all the fellow troopers we knew. Now we were bound together in a companionship which had been formed in our mutual service to the Emperor. Forged in the heat of battle, victory, death and failure.

I looked at Yalasa's face, expressionless and pale in the dim light of the mess. I wondered what conflicting emotions she was supressing as she sat there. For a moment, I thought she would stay silent, absorbed in her thoughts like she has done so often before. But after a couple of minutes, she lifted her head and looked at me.

"Why did you do it?" She asked. I didn't need to ask what she was talking about.

"You are my squad leader. I am sworn to defend you with my life." I replied with sincerity. "I did not believe that it would be good for the Empire for you to die."

"No. Not just you" She continued looking at me intently. "I meant all of you."

I stayed silent at first, wondering how best to answer. She looked at me, awaiting my response.

"In every generation, only a few truly great leaders are born." I responded firmly. "A Leader who can snatch total victory from the jaws of crushing defeat. A leader who can cause fear and despair in the hearts of the enemy. A Leader who can inspire men to sacrifice their lives without question. A leader for whom his men will run into the fires of hell. And a leader who will guide them through the other side of the burning flames in glory and honour…"

I was cut off as Yalasa interrupted me.

"…The man who stands before you is one such leader. For I have the vision and genius to lead the Empire to even greater glory." Yalasa smirked as she completed the quote from me." You have quoted from a speech by Admiral Motti ."

I shrugged. Yalasa was right. I took the quote directly from the public acceptance speech made by Admiral Motti when he was appointed admiral in the imperial fleet. We were on parade during the celebration ceremony and were present to hear the speech. It pleased me to use the quote. It reminded me of the time when I met the great man that day I delivered his sister, Jentessa Motti, to him on the Death Star.

Yalasa smiled and her eyes sparkled as she looked at me. She was clearly amused. For the first time, I got a brief glimpse of the carefree girl Yalasa may have been before she became a stormtrooper. Seeing Yalasa's smile reminded me of Jentessa Motti. Lady Motti also had a carefree smile. It struck me, that perhaps Yalasa and Lady Motti were not so different from each other. Lady Motti was a typical female. Frivolous, emotional, irresponsible, ignorant, obsessed with trivialities and in need of protection. I wondered if Yalasa used to be like that.

"I don't think you can compare a lowly female stormtrooper corporal to a great man such as admiral Motti." Yalasa said, interrupting my train of thought

"You are mistaken , Yalasa. Admiral Motti's quote is relevant." I looked directly into Yalasa's eyes and spoke with a conviction I genuinely felt. "With all that has happened since Tatooine, the men are still going through the fire. We need our leader to guide us through the flames. You are our leader."

Since we were talking off-duty, it was not deemed disobedient for me to contradict Yalasa even though she was my commanding NCO.

Yalasa shook her head. Her smile disappeared.

"I was the commanding NCO. I should have taken the responsibility. It was my duty." Yalasa disagreed with me, but did not disapprove of my comment.

"No." I replied. "No one present in the squad was truly responsible. Each of us did our duty. None of us were individually to blame. And you, of all of us, were the least to blame. Everyone including Speeler knew that when we all volunteered."

Yalasa pursed her lips and shook her head again.

"We all could see that you did all you could to fulfil the mission objective." I continued. " You led us while others faltered. You stayed strong while others were weak. You demonstrated your devotion to the Emperor and to your squad by both your words and actions. You were willing to sacrifice yourself for all of us. You made a vow to us and you stood by it as we knew you would. Why would any of us want to lose leader like that?"

It also occurred to me that Zarin and Skeen were ultimately responsible and deserved execution. But I did not want to tarnish Speeler's noble sacrifice by mentioning two names that there now synonymous with treason and incompetence.

"Another quote." Yalasa scoffed. "Who was it for? Moff Tarkin? General Tagge?"

"No. I made that up myself."

Yalasa giggled and shook her head. She found that funny. Although, I was being completely serious.

"But why did Bloor, Mandala and Davos volunteer?" Asked Yalasa, turning serious again." They served under Skeen. They hardly know me. They had no obligation to step forward."

"Yes, they served with Skeen. And that is why they stepped forward for you, Yalasa. They more than anyone else know the dedication you put into performing your duty as a corporal and as a loyal soldier of the Empire. They compared you with Skeen. I do not need to say any more."

Yalasa sat looking at the floor head bowed with an incredulous expression on her face.

"And why did you choose Speeler?" I asked, turning the question around. "You chose Speeler although you knew he was a loyal soldier of the Emperor who never failed in his duty. Why not choose Mandala, Davos or Bloor? As you said yourself. You did not know them."

"Yes, I did not know them. And that is why I could not pick them." Yalasa replied. "It would not be appropriate for me to judge them. Not for them, not for me and not for the Empire. I am only a lowly female corporal."

"Then you made an honourable choice." I replied.

"And what about Timor?" Said Yalasa. "I could not believe it when he volunteered. Why would he step forward? For me? How can you explain that?"

"Timor may be a sadist and a compulsive liar." I said. "But he is still an imperial stormtrooper with the same sense of honour and loyalty as any of us. You saved his life on Tatooine. He will not have forgotten that. He obviously felt duty bound to step forward for you."

"Did Timor really say that?"

"No." I admitted.

"So what did he say then?"

"Timor said that you were too pretty to die." I replied.

"Oh, yeah.?" Yalasa looked at me with a scornful expression on her face.

"But as I said before." I paused before continuing. "Timor is a compulsive liar."

That made her smile and giggle again. That same mischievous giggle like I had heard so many times from Jentessa Motti.

"And what about Timor?" I asked Yalasa, again turning the question round. "Why didn't you choose him for execution?"

My question was pertinent. It was my opinion that Timor was the least effective soldier in the squad. He would have been the smallest loss to the Empire if Yalasa had chosen him for execution. Even Timor probably knew this. Which made his willingness to volunteer even more meaningful.

"Timor is the weakest soldier of us all." She looked down as she spoke, as if ashamed to say the words. "He would have not been a worthy sacrifice. He needs to improve before he could be given such an honour."

"And so that leaves only me and Speeler." I said.

"Speeler was the only logical choice." Said Yalasa, continuing her line of thinking. "I chose him because he is a loyal soldier of the Empire. He is capable, dependable and reliable. It is a loss we all regret. And it is a loss that we will never want to repeat. In choosing Speeler, I wanted to ensure that we all understand the consequences of failure. I wanted to ensure that we never fail the Emperor again."

I nodded. I understood that. For a sacrifice to be meaningful, it must represent a true loss.

Yalasa looked down again. Her face was blank and expressionless.

"I chose Speeler because he was good soldier and a worthy sacrifice." She continued.

"I know." I said. "And that is why Speeler volunteered. He knew he was sacrificing himself in the name of the Emperor. There is no nobler way to die."

Yalasa nodded and pursed her lips. I shared the regret that Yalasa felt over Speeler's death. But it was now the will of the Emperor. And we accepted that without question.

We sat for a moment in silence, contemplating the noble sacrifice of Speeler. I looked down at our empty plates. We had finished our rations. Yalasa's stood up and turned to leave.

"Yalasa." My chair screeched on the metal floor as I stood up abruptly. She stopped and turned back to look at me.

"You could have chosen me." I said. "I was ready to surrender my life for the Empire. To volunteer myself for you and the others."

"I know." She said

"You could have depended on me."

Yalasa contemplated me for a moment, her face cold and expressionless.

"I have always depended on you right from the beginning." Yalasa said to me flatly. "And that is why I could never have chosen you."

Yalasa turned and walked out the door, leaving me alone. For a moment I felt a wave of emotion wash over me and a shiver went down my spine. I stood alone in the mess for a moment and composed myself.

When I got to the sleeping quarters, Yalasa was already asleep on her bunk. I lay down on mine. I felt very drowsy. I closed my eyes and drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

_IMPERIAL PSYCHLOGICAL SECTION_

_REVIEW OF JOURNAL – TROOPER LC-9087_

_As per procedure, we have administered additives in the troopers rations to make them sleep. In this way, any unnecessary anxiety and stress before the execution of their fellow trooper can be avoided._

_The subject indicates that the squad has demonstrated an unsettling level of loyalty to trooper RC-5342 (aka Yalasa). We recommend that RC-5342 be demoted. Replacements for losses suffered by the squad should be selected carefully to ensure the influence of trooper RC-5342 is reduced. _

_All surviving troopers in the squad have experienced a high level of stress and anxiety in the past few days. This may conflict with their conditioning and decrease their operational effectiveness. After the decimation process is complete, all troopers should be subject to a program of reindoctrination and reconditioning to reinforce their loyalty to the Emperor. This can be done as part of the reprimand and commendation process to take place after the decimation._

_The subject indicates that the other troopers in the squad have reacted positively to the decimation process. This demonstrates that decimation is an effective way to punish failure while maintaining loyalty to the Empire. We recommend expanding the decimation program to lower priority missions to increase the general effectiveness of our troops._


	18. Execution of Honour

_CHAPTER 17 – EXECUTION OF HONOUR_

___"The concept of honour is a useful tool for the Empire. It compels honest men to kill and die for us." Private quote by Grand Moff Tarkin._

* * *

The next day, the six remaining members of our squad stood in the armoury. We had put on our armour and were holding our helmets in our hands. Only a day a go, we were all contemplating sacrificing ourselves for the Empire and for each other. Now we were contemplating the execution of a valued fellow trooper.

There were only a few places where a leader could address his men with inspiring words before going on duty or into battle. The interior of a shuttle was one such place. The armoury was another.

We all formed a semi-circle around Yalasa. She addressed us, looking at each of us as she spoke.

"You will be wondering why I gave Sergeant Speeler the honour of sacrificing himself as part of our decimation punishment."

We all stood in silence, waiting expectantly for her to continue.

"Sergeant Speeler was a loyal soldier of the Galactic Empire. He was a dedicated and obedient servant of the Emperor. The Emperor could always depend on him to do his duty." Yalasa's looked at me intently as she said that Last sentence. I couldn't help looking down.

"He is a worthy sacrifice." Yalasa continued.

The men nodded and mumbled agreement.

"Sergeant Speeler has given us a chance to regain our honour. On Tatooine, he was always looking out for us. During the Tusken raid, the attack on the Jawa Sandcrawler and the search of the houses in Mos Eisley, he always watched our backs. He protected us as the rest of us did our duty. And that is what he continues to do now. He is watching our backs for one final time."

The men looked at Yalasa. I could see the admiration and respect in their eyes, such as is rarely given to a female NCO.

"The Emperor's will shall be done." She said. "The price of our failure shall be paid. We shall remember Sergeant Speeler's sacrifice. We shall remember that our failure cost the life of a loyal soldier of the Empire. And with that memory in our hearts, we shall ensure that we never fail the Emperor again."

The men stood with heads bowed, nodding solemnly. Yalasa paused and looked down at the floor for a moment. Then she raised her head and smiled.

"It is time that we give Sergeant Speeler the honour and respect he deserves."

The men stood up straight and prepared for the order to deploy. Yalasa said one final thing.

"Aim true."

"Aim true." We all repeated in unison.

* * *

Half an hour later, we marched into the grand training hall in two lines, with Yalasa at the head. We were all in our stormtrooper armour and held blasters across our chests. Speeler marched freely in the middle of our line, his head held high, pride and honour shining in his eyes. Speeler was wearing a new jump suit. As required by the ritual, he had scrubbed himself clean. He was unbound. We would not need restraints for this prisoner.

Our blasters were loaded this time. Each one was charged with one single low powered bolt. Executions were not generally done on full power as it was neither necessary nor desirable to blow the body to pieces. The low power bolt was more than enough to penetrate the heart of an unarmoured man and kill him instantly.

Over 150 men in ranks of two or three lined the length of the hall. Most were armoured stormtroopers from our company who did not have other duties. A few wore the uniforms of officers and navy troopers. All stood at ease and in silence.

We marched the length of the hall until we reached the far end. Yalasa stood aside and shouted an order. Timor and I escorted Speeler up to the wall where the execution would take place. Speeler went willingly. We did not need to touch him. When he reached the wall, Speeler turned round so that his back was to the wall. He stood with head held high, ready to carry out his final duty for the Empire.

Timor and I marched back to the squad. Yalasa shouted another order and we formed into a single line about 10 meters from Speeler. We stood at ease.

Commander Jir stepped forward. Normally the company Captain would have taken responsibility for commanding the execution. For some reason, Commander Jir took a personal interest in our decimation. However, I noticed that Commander Praji was absent this time.

Commander Jir addressed Yalasa in a loud and clear voice.

"Corporal. Are you ready to carry out the sentence conferred upon Sergeant Speeler for the failure of critical order 4219A?"

"Yes, sir." Replied Yalasa

"Then carry on, corporal." Commander Jir turned and walked back to the group of officers he was standing with.

Yalasa turned to address Speeler.

"Sergeant. Do you have any last words before we carry out the sentence?"

Speeler looked at us, his eyes shining with pride. It was clear that he was no longer under the influence of the drugs that we knew were put in our rations. Speeler had not eaten standard stormtrooper rations for a whole day. We believed that the drugs only lasted a few hours at most. So Speeler would be his own lucid self for the last moments of his life.

Speeler addressed us, his voice loud and clear for all to hear.

"I am, and always will be, a loyal servant of the Galactic Empire. Long live Emperor Palatine! Long live the Empire!"

Speeler turned his gaze to the firing squad.

"It has been an honour to serve with you all." He smiled and nodded to each one of us in turn. "Continue to serve the Emperor well my friends….and aim true."

Speeler saluted and brought himself to attention.

Yalasa shouted an order. Every man in the squad saluted and came to attention in unison. A final mark of respect to a soldier who had served the Emperor with dedication and honour. A final mark of recognition to a fellow trooper who had surrendered his life to save ours. A final farewell to a valued companion in arms who would be missed.

We stood in silence for a moment. Then we heard another order shouted by Commander Jir. We heard the sound of glove against helmet, as every trooper and officer in the hall saluted. Then we heard a deafening crash echo through the hall as every trooper and officer brought themselves to attention, stamping their feet to the floor in unison. A final mark of respect for a loyal soldier of the Empire. A final mark of recognition for a man who had made a noble sacrifice. A final farewell for a trooper who did not deserve to die.

Everyone in the hall stood in silence. Yalasa ordered us to ready our blasters.

"Aim!"

Speeler looked at us as we aimed at him. He stood upright, with his hands behind his back. He did not flinch. He did not waver. Just as Speeler never had before.

I aimed my blaster at the small section of material marking the location of his heart. Four other blasters pointed there. None of us would miss. We would honour Speeler by shooting him directly through the heart. We would all do our duty and hit the target, even though none of us really wanted to. We would all aim true.

"Fire!"

We all fired. Speeler was propelled back against the wall and then collapsed to the ground. He had been killed instantly. Yalasa stepped forward and shot a low powered bolt into the side of his skull to ensure the sentence was properly carried out.

Yalasa ordered us to stand at ease.

A recovery droids appeared with a hover-gurney. Timor and I walked forward and gently lifted Speeler onto the gurney. His eyes were staring wide open, so I closed them.

The hover gurney moved down the hall to the exit at the far end. Yalasa ordered us to form an honour guard around it. It was not normal practice, but neither was it prohibited. As we walked down the length hall, the other troopers and officers in the hall continued to stand at attention in complete silence.

We escorted Speeler's remains from the hall and along the corridor to the recovery area. The final blast door opened. Yalasa gave an order. We all saluted and brought ourselves to attention as the hover gurney disappeared through the door of the recovery area. That was our final farewell.

The door closed and Sergeant Speeler disappeared forever. A loyal soldier for the Empire was dead for the sake of our honour. It was a sacrifice we would never forget.

* * *

**Author's note: I made up Tarkin's quote myself. If he did make that quote in other sources, then it is a happy coincidence.**


	19. Thrawn Drills

CHAPTER 19 – THRAWN DRILLS

After Speeler's body disappeared into the recovery area, Yalasa led us back to the Grand Training hall. With our honour regained, we would be permitted to carry out our regular duties and training as imperial stormtroopers.

Directly after the completion of combat missions and any subsequent decimation executions, standard practice is to put stormtrooper units through several hours of marching drills. The main purpose is to reinforce our conditioning by concentrating our minds on our primary objective and purpose as dedicated servants of the Empire: To obey and carry out orders.

We entered the training hall and fell in line with the other three squads from our platoon. The troopers from the other squads were standing at attention and, like us, they were still wearing their stormtrooper armour. Stormtroopers from other platoons who had come to attend the execution of Speeler were still marching out the hall. Only a few minutes ago the hall had been used for a decimation execution. Now it would be used for marching drills. There was now no sign that an execution had ever taken place.

Lieutenant Denlin and Sergeant-Major Andersen walked up to us. Neither of them were wearing armour. They were both dressed in black uniforms and caps. They would be leading the marching drills. They stood in front of us and waited until all the units not belonging to our platoon had left the hall.

Before the marching drill would begin, any new recruits and replacements would be brought in and introduced to their new squads. One of the purposes of the marching exercises was to permit the new and established members of the platoon to get used to each other in an environment which the troopers found comfortable and relaxing. Marching drills were regarded as a relaxing activity by stormtroopers.

Only one lone trooper in stormtrooper armour entered the hall and marched up to us. The trooper placed himself behind Lieutenant Denlin and Sergeant-Major Andersen, coming to a halt, turning towards us and clicking his heels to attention.

I wondered why we were only getting one replacement. I was expecting to see three replacements for our squad. A sergeant to replace Skeen and two troopers to fill the remaining two places. I assumed we would get the other two replacements at a later date.

Lieutenant Denlin ordered Yalasa to step forward. Yalasa advanced two paces and saluted.

Lieutenant Denlin introduced us to our new fellow trooper. She was a trooper I knew from before. She is called Harmony. She was one of the original squad members led by Noremac during the Tantive Boarding.

Of the original pre-Tantive squad, four troopers had died (Noremac, Brynnar, Thanos and Yanir), one had gone mad (Skeen) and three had survived relatively unscathed (myself, Yalasa and Timor). The final squad member was Harmony. She had been critically injured during the Tantive mission.

In Noremac's original squad, there were two female troopers. One was Yalasa. The other was Harmony. Being the only two female troopers in the squad, Yalasa and Harmony used to stick together when off-duty. I never got to know them. Together with the other male troopers in the squad, I used to generally ignore them when off-duty. Of course, since the Tantive mission, I had come into contact with Yalasa a lot more, although I still did not really know her well. I didn't know Harmony at all except by her off-duty reputation.

During the missions on the Tantive and on Tatooine, I completely forgot that Harmony existed. In fact, I didn't even see her on the Tantive. I had heard that she was critically injured. But I did not know how or where. And to be honest, I did not care. The loss of a female trooper did not concern me too much as I did not believe females should be allowed in the military in the first place. Obviously, Harmony had recovered from whatever injury she had received during the Tantive mission.

Now Harmony had returned to the squad, Yalasa would have her off-duty companion back. Undoubtedly, Yalasa would spend most of her off-duty time with Harmony rather than me from now on.

Harmony marched forward a few steps and halted in front of Yalasa. Yalasa and Harmony saluted to each other. Yalasa ordered Harmony to take her place in the line and Harmony dutifully obeyed. Yalasa saluted again to Lieutenant Denlin. Then she too returned to take her place in the ranks of troopers standing to attention.

Sergeant-Major Andersen then stepped forward and ordered Timor to leave the hall. Timor dutifully saluted and marched out. I suspected that Timor had been ordered to attend other duties as part of a reprimand for breaching regulation, probably as punishment for talking with Jensen before the Tusken ambush. Missing the marching drill would also be regarded as part of the punishment.

When a trooper breaks relatively minor regulations such as talking on duty during a non-combat situation, he receives a minor punishment as a reprimand. The punishment usually involves standing guard alone in one of the most dark, deep and empty parts of the Star Destroyer for hours on end. It was the sort of trivial guard duty normally reserved for inferior soldiers such as navy troopers or imperial army. But stormtroopers often carried out these tasks when they were punished for minor regulation breaches.

I knew Timor would be disappointed that he could not take part in the marching drills with us. As servants of the Emperor, we were honoured to carry out any duty assigned to us. But we still preferred to carry out tasks that we regarded as actively enforcing the will of the Emperor. We always preferred missions that involved combatting and crushing the Emperor's enemies. When we were not on active duty, we preferred to take part in training exercises that maintained or improved our ability to serve the Emperor in his aim to bring lasting peace and order to the galaxy. We regarded marching drills as an agreeable form of training. Certainly, I am sure Timor would have preferred marching with his fellow troopers than standing alone outside some obscure doorway in the most unfrequented part of the ship for hours on end.

Of course, I knew that Yalasa and Timor would also have to be punished for their more serious regulation breaches on Tatooine. Yalasa had spoken of Zarin's desertion when we had been ordered not to do so, while Timor had shown disobedience for his commanding NCO. Both of these were serious breaches of regulation and would require more severe administrative punishment. Other serious breaches of regulation that resulted in severe punishments included failing to obey a direct order from a superior and failing to eat the required rations assigned to you. I wondered when Yalasa and Timor would receive their punishment. I did not look forward to it, as such punishments involved the participation of the whole squad.

With Timor gone, Lieutenant Denlin went up to one of the balconies overlooking the training hall. These balconies were used by commanding officers to observe training exercises or by visiting commanders who came to inspect parading troops. Today Lieutenant Denlin would use the balcony to oversee our marching drills. He would depend on Sergeant Major-Major Andersen and the squad leaders to give the orders to the troops on the ground while he observed and coordinated our movements from above. In that sense, we had a similar command structure as we would have in a combat situation.

Both Lieutenant Denlin and Sergeant-Major Andersen were equipped with microphones with which they could relay orders to individuals or groups of troopers at once. Sergeant-Major Andersen shouted his first order and we commenced marching.

Like all stormtroopers, I find marching drills to be a relaxing and enjoyable experience. It is regarded as a leisure activity among many stormtroopers. There is nothing more satisfying for us than to march up and down for hours with our fellow troopers, responding to the sound of our commanding officer's voice. It was an activity where we did not have to think or reflect. We just had to concentrate on reacting to the orders shouted to us. It reinforced our conditioning to follow orders without question and made us feel part of the great imperial war machine that was tuned to perfection. A machine that was dedicated to fulfilling the will of the Emperor.

For the first hour we marched in the usual straight lines, block formations and quadratic shapes. At first, Sergeant-Major Andersen started with simple orders to get us going. "Forward march! Halt! About-turn! Atten-shun!" But this was only a warm-up. For the second hour, we started to carry out more complicated manoeuvres, such as merging two or more marching units into one or having several groups of troopers march through each other's ranks.

For the first two hours, we marched in the straight lines and block formations which most imperial officers love so much. Then Sergeant-Major Andersen started ordering us to create more complicated formations as we marched. We started to march in more concentric and curved shapes and patterns; forming spirals, loops and waves. We did this for two hours, creating all sorts of different shapes and formations. We were always in movement, as one formation transformed harmoniously and seamlessly into another.

Lieutenant Denlin had a special name for these marching drills which formed more complex shapes and patterns. He called them Thrawn drills. This was apparently because they were artistic in nature. However, I have to admit that I have no idea how the word Thrawn is connected to art.

There is a rumour that Lieutenant Denlin used to serve with an imperial fleet commander called Thrawn. Some say that Thrawn is an alien with blue skin and red eyes. It was this alien commander who apparently gave Lieutenant Denlin the inspiration for his 'Thrawn' marching drills. I did not believe the rumour myself. I was sure that Emperor would not entrust a senior command position to a non-human. Just in the same way that the Emperor would surely never entrust such a senior position to a woman. It was just unthinkable.

Then we started creating even more complex patterns. We were ordered to march into different positions, creating pictures and animated images. Flowers would open and close as we marched to a fro. Our marching formations formed the waves on a river, which got progressively higher and higher. We formed star-like shapes which slowly expanded outwards, before suddenly imploding inwards. We moved seamlessly from one image to the next. After each image was created, Sergeant-Major Andersen would shout out an order and each of us would march obediently to another location to form the next image.

Most times, we did not know what images we were creating. They could only be seen from above. But that did not matter to us. Just like any operation, we did not need to know the reason or objective of the instructions given to us. We only needed to follow our orders.

Lieutenant Denlin appeared to be very satisfied with the shapes and patterns we were creating. Occasionally, we were ordered to salute Lieutenant Denlin as part of the drill. As I looked up at him through the visor of my helmet, I could see that he was always smiling as he looked down upon us from his position on the balcony. It was a smile that was filled with delight and pride, as his 33 troopers marched about the hall, forming various shapes, images and patterns of his design. It is rare to see an imperial officer smile like that. Most were stern faced and very serious, as was expected of imperial officers.

Of course, I did not have time to see what Lieutenant Denlin or any other individual was doing during these marching drills. I was so concentrated in following the orders given to me that I did not really take note of my surroundings. I only took note of the location of other troopers so that we could coordinate our movements.

In many ways, it was just like the choreographed ballets my mother had often taken me to see back on Carida. We received orders, we observed our surroundings, we coordinated with our fellow troopers in complicated formations and we executed our instructions to reach our objective. It was also just like following orders on any mission. And in reality that was the true objective of the exercise. These marching exercises help to make us more effective and efficient as stormtroopers, both individually and as a unit.

Everyone in our platoon was enthusiastic about taking part in the Thrawn drills. For us they represented the true spirit and beauty of the Empire we served. Our regimented and fluid movements represented the strength, power, order, control, discipline, obedience, and flexibility of the Empire. They represented all the factors which make the Empire and the Emperor invincible. The marching drills represented what the Empire and the Emperor strived for. A galaxy where every being obediently carried out the will of the Emperor with perfect precision and dedication. A complex interwoven ever-changing tapestry where every stich and thread knew its place. A truly beautiful concept indeed.

We drilled for a total of five hours; marching, marking time, halting, turning, coming to attention, saluting and presenting arms. In fluid movements, we formed the intricate patterns and shapes in the training hall as instructed by our commanding officers, coordinated in perfect synchronisation and harmony.

Finally, the Sergeant-Major Andersen brought the marching drill to an end. As usual, our last act was to form ourselves into the emblem of the Galactic Empire. The six pronged star. The symbol of our beloved Emperor Palpatine. The man who had brought peace and order to the galaxy and to whom we are all devoted with our very being. It seemed appropriate to me that we should form his symbol with our very bodies, given that we are the very incarnation of the Emperor's will.

Lieutenant Denlin descended from the balcony and walked towards us clapping his hands enthusiastically and displaying a huge grin on his face. He stopped in front of us as we stood to attention.

"That was just excellent." Lieutenant Denlin spoke with complete sincerity as he continued grinning. "I commend you all for such a perfectly coordinated display."

I was always felt slightly uncomfortable when Lieutenant Denlin gave us such overt praise. Most other officers never praised stormtroopers. They generally showed their appreciation by not reprimanding you. Lieutenant Denlin was one of the few officers who gave praise freely. Although,I recognise that he could just be as harsh as any officer when giving out reprimands and punishments for failure.

I always felt such praise from our officers was unnecessary. We were elite imperial stormtroopers. We should be expected to provide a near perfect performance at all times, whether that involves crushing the Emperor's enemies in combat, carrying out marching drills in a parade hall or standing guard outside a door. We expected and demanded unwavering perfection of ourselves in our service to the Emperor.

"Step forward, corporal Yalasa." Said Denlin.

Yalasa dutifully advanced two paces and saluted.

"I must especially commend the performance of your squad today." Said Lieutenant Denlin. "Despite the rigours of the last few days, your squad performed extremely well. Please pass on my congratulations to them."

"Thank you, sir. I will"

Of course, we all could clearly hear what Lieutenant Denlin said. Yalsasa would not have to pass on the message.

"And I must also commend Trooper Harmony." Lieutenant Denlin continued. "Despite being severely injured for the last few days, she fit into the unit as if she had never left.

"Thank you, sir." Yalasa said again. Of course, the praise was unnecessary. Harmony was doing her duty like the rest of us.

Afterwards, we were all dismissed. The marching drills were over. We all went to the armoury to remove our armour. For the first time in a few days, we returned to our quarters in high spirits.

* * *

_IMPERIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SECTION_

_REVIEW OF JOURNAL – TROOPER LC-9087_

_The subject indicates that the intense marching drills have had an expected positive effect on the moral and confidence of the subject's squad, countering any negative psychological impact that the execution of their fellow trooper may have caused. The high level of performance in the marching drills suggests that the trooper's conditioning has remained solid despite stresses and anxiety suffered by the troopers in the last few days._

_Although it is not prohibited, the creation of non-quadratic shapes is not regular practice during marching drills. We should arrange for an appropriate officer to observe these so called 'Thrawn drills' that Lieutenant Denlin is organising. We recognise that such inventive marching exercises may benefit the coordination, flexibility, discipline and psychological condition of the troops. But we should ensure that the shapes and images created during these drills are appropriate and do not contain content that could be regarded as treasonous._

_First indications suggest that the reincorporation of trooper GB-1314 (aka Harmony) will have the intended affect on the squad. With RC-5342 (aka Yalasa) being reunited with her former female companion, it should cause a division with the male troopers and reduce her influence on the squad. __The subject's squad will receive the remaining two replacements on deployment to the Death Star._

_Our recommendation to demote RC-5342 (aka Yalasa) has been rejected by Commander Jir and Lieutenant Denlin. But our recommendation may fall on more sympathetic ears once the platoon has been transferred to the Death Star. _


	20. Leisure Time

CHAPTER 20 – LEISURE TIME

After dropping off our armour and blasters in the armoury, we all went to the mess to take our rations. Since our whole platoon was in the mess at the same time, it was very crowded and there was little space for us to sit. For the first time since Tatooine, our squad could not eat together. Yalasa and Harmony sat together at one table with troopers from other squads in our platoon. Meanwhile, I sat with Mandala, Bloor and Davos at a different table.

It occurred to me that I did not know Mandala, Bloor and Davos very well. After the untimely death of Speeler, I felt I should get to know the troopers I would be serving with. Especially, as I had lost all my usual companions. During our meal, we discussed our respective backgrounds.

Davos and I have similar backgrounds. We were both brought up on academy worlds. While I was brought up on Carida, Davos came from the world of Corulag. Both our mothers were teachers in the respective academies, giving guidance to the recruits on history, philosophy and politics. Both our fathers were in the imperial navy. While my father was a tie-fighter pilot, the father of Davis was a naval officer on a Star Destroyer. Both our fathers had died as heros of the Empire, fighting to maintain order and security in the galaxy.

Bloor came from the core world of Hemei IV which has a long tradition of loyalty and service to the Empire. Such core worlds were the first to declare obedience to the Emperor and give active support to the Empire after the Clone Wars. They were also the star systems which provided most of the recruits and supplies to the Empire in its current crusade to bring peace and security to the galaxy. Each of these worlds had basic training and assessment centres where the young men put themselves forward as candidates for the various arms of the imperial military. The populations of these planets were known to be vociferous in their support for the Emperor, with parents eagerly encouraging their children to join the imperial military or administration. Most stormtroopers in our platoon, including Timor and Skeen, came from core worlds.

Like Yalasa and Harmony, trooper Mandala was brought up on a relatively poor world. Although these planets are not regarded as disloyal to the Emperor, neither do they actively support the Empire's military effort to end the rebel threat in the galaxy. Their activity generally focusses on commerce, agriculture and/or industry. Most of the population from these worlds are more likely to be workers or traders than join the military. In fact, it surprised me that any recruits came from these worlds at all given the lack of basic training and assessment facilities available there.

It was no coincidence that Yalasa and Harmony were from non-core worlds. Core imperial worlds would rarely allow females to enlist in the military, understanding that they were neither physically nor mentally equipped for the rigours of combat. But many of the more marginalised worlds of the outer and inner rims had no hesitation in sending their women off to war. I suspected that it may be because the poor families of such worlds were simply happy to get rid of a useless mouth to feed. I could easily imagine that a daughter could be a burden for a poor family in the outer-rim.

But on the other hand, it also occurred to me that both Yalasa and Harmony must have shown extraordinary determination to leave their home world and integrate themselves into the stormtrooper corps. Even though I doubted the capability of females to perform effectively as stormtroopers, I did not doubt their loyalty to the Empire or their devotion to serve the Emperor. In order to be accepted in the corps, these women must have pushed themselves to unbelievable extremes. It just demonstrates how devotion to the Emperor can bring out the best in us all.

There was no doubt that Yalasa and Harmony are completely devoted to the Emperor, just as all stormtroopers are. It occurred to me that all women in the Stormtrooper corps owed everything to the Emperor. He had given them a worthwhile existence of noble service, allowing them to escape from the desperation and misery of their trivial lives on their home worlds. And that perhaps explains why female stormtroopers never waver in their duty to the Emperor. Even if they are inferior troopers, I recognise that they are just as determined to enforce the will of the Emperor as any male trooper.

After finishing our meal, we all returned to our quarters where we were all allowed a few hours of leisure time. It was the first time that we had been permitted any free time since returning from Tatooine. There was not a lot to do in our free time. Most troopers talked, played card games, wrote up their journal, read approved imperial texts or listened to approved music.

At first, several troopers from our platoon crowded around Yalasa's bunk where we all talked for an hour or so, sharing our experiences from the Tantive and Tatooine missions. We related how fellow troopers were killed or wounded. We spoke of Skeen's madness. We spoke of the search for the droids and the failure of the final mission. We also spoke of Speeler's execution, but in a solemn and respectful manner.

The only thing we did not speak of was the treason of Zarin. We were still under orders to keep silent about that event. So we didn't mention it.

Some troopers were also eager to hear what had happened to Harmony. Harmony explained to us how she was wounded during the Tantive mission. In fact, she didn't even make it onto the rebel ship. Just as she was about to step onto the Tantive, she was hit in the stomach by a stray rebel blaster bolt and was put out of action. After the other stormtroopers in the assault force had cleared the area, the medical droids evacuated her to the medical centre. While we were on Tatooine looking for the droids, Harmony was recovering from her wounds on the Star Destroyer.

It occurred to me that a male trooper could have continued fighting if he had received a similar wound. Male troopers are only put out of action from mortal wounds. But Harmony seemed to have been put out of operation from what was probably a relatively light wound to the stomach.

After an hour or so, I left the group and returned to my bunk where I decided to write up my journal. Bloor and Davos also left the group shortly afterwards to play a card game. Eventually, only Harmony, Yalasa and Mandala continued speaking quietly by Yalasa's bunk. Occasionally, I heard the sound of laughter, as the girls giggled with Mandala.

A while later, Mandala and Harmony also left. They disappeared under the covers of Mandela's bunk where we heard the grunts, sighs and other sounds of physical interaction. This was no surprise. Both Mandala and Harmony had reputations for engaging in such activity. Although, it was probably the first time they had been with each other. As usual, the rest of us ignored them. I noticed that Yalasa sat alone on her bunk. Like me she took time to write up and file her reports and journal.

Just before the time set for lights out, Timor returned from guard duty dressed in his off-duty jump suit. He was just in time to see Harmony leave Mandala's bunk. Timor exchanged a few words with Bloor and Davos. Then when the lights-out was sounded, we all lay down on our bunks and went to sleep.


	21. Harmony

**Warning note: The following chapter includes heavy swearing and sexual references as part of soldier banter.**

**Please also note that some of the dialogue refers to the events in chapters 9 (Tusken Raiders), chapter 11 (Dewbacks, Droids and Jawas) and chapter 13 (Shame and Dishonour).**

CHAPTER 21 – HARMONY

The next day, we awoke and prepared to go to the mess for our morning rations. For some reason, Yalasa and Harmony were called to see Lieutenant Denlin, so the rest of us went to the mess without them. We all sat together in the mess and spoke while we ate our rations. I sat opposite Timor in the middle of the table, while Bloor, Manadala and Davos sat to our left. Well rested from the previous day, we were all in good spirits.

"I wonder why Lieutenant Denlin asked to see Yalasa?" Asked Timor. "Perhaps he is going to demote her at last."

"I doubt it." Said Bloor. "The Lieutenant has always looked on female troopers with favour."

"I don't know why. I mean, can you believe that they made a woman a corporal?" Timor asked rhetorically. "It just doesn't make sense. Unless of course he's banging her"

I shrugged as I ate my rations. I was not generally in favour of female NCOs of course, but I was not going to openly criticise the decisions of Lieutenant Denlin. The other men muttered under their breaths, but did not say anything coherently. Realising that he was not going to get a reaction, Timor changed the focus of the discussion.

"I mean, I bet she didn't even play as a stormtrooper when she was a kid." Timor looked at each of us as he ate. "Any true loyal soldier of the Empire must have played at stormtroopers as a child. Can you imagine Yalasa playing at being a stormtrooper? "

No one answered out loud. But we all shook our heads in silence. It looked like none of us could imagine Yalasa playing at stormtroopers.

"What about Harmony? Can you imagine Harmony playing at stormtroopers when she was young?" Asked Bloor.

"I can imagine her playing as a joygirl. That's for sure." Replied Timor. We all laughed at that.

"I can certainly vouch for that." Chuckled Mandala.

"Perhaps Harmony can give Yalasa some lessons in that department." Smirked Timor. "If she hasn't done so already."

Again, we all laughed. However, although I joined in the laughter, I was not too comfortable with the conversation. I was concerned that we may say something that could be construed as disobedience or disrespect to a commanding NCO.

"Do you think that Skeen played at being a stormtrooper when he was young?" I asked, moving the conversation on what seemed to be safer ground. Now that Skeen was relieved of duty, we could safely say what we liked about him.

"Almost certainly." Answered Timor. "He probably slept with his fucking helmet on."

There were a few sniggers around the table. Bloor almost choked on his rations. I also laughed.

"Hey, Mandala. Did you play as a stormtrooper when you were a kid?" Asked Timor.

"Yeah sure." Replied Manadala. "I used to run around with a toy gun shooting rebels and traitors. It was great fun."

"What about the rest of you?"

Davos, Bloor and I nodded agreement. We had all played at stormtroopers. That was no surprise. In fact, my mother even bought me some toy stormtrooper armour and a toy blaster.

For some reason, Timor turned to me next.

"And what about you, anal-boy?" Timor asked me. "Did you play as a stormtrooper when you were young?"

"Yeah, sure." I grunted in response, not overly happy with him using my unwanted nickname.

"Yeah, I bet when anal-boy played at being a stormtrooper." Timor turned to the others. "He used to stand guard for 10 hours in silence outside his mother's closet."

The other troopers laughed. I scowled at Timor in disgust and stayed silent, not wanting to give Timor any more ammunition.

"Talking of mothers." Unfortunately, Timor continued talking to me. "Where is your new mummy, Yalasa? I haven't seen her for a while."

At that moment, Harmony entered the mess and collected her tray of rations. Yalasa was not with her.

"Oh, look. Here comes joygirl Harmony." Said Timor grinning. I was relieved that he had a new target for his unwanted attentions.

Harmony brought her tray to our table and sat near to us. It seemed she wasn't confident about sitting right beside us. She sat to my right, leaving a one chair gap between me and her.

"It's great to have you with us again, Harmony." Timor looked over at Harmony. "I haven't seen you since you were sprawled on the floor outside the Tantive. Well, apart from last night when you were sprawled in Mandala's bunk."

We all laughed at that. Harmony looked over at Timor as she slowly chewed her rations, a sly smile on her face.

"So how did you manage to get hit just before entering the combat zone, Harmony?" Timor continued his taunts. "That was a spectacular achievement. Did you get special training for that?"

Harmony continued looking over Timor with a mildly amused expression on her face.

"By the way, next time you get hit, try to lie on your front next time, Harmony." Grinned Timor. "I really had trouble hurdling your massive tits. It was like a fucking obstacle course."

We all laughed again. Of course, what Timor had said was a ridiculous exaggeration. Male and female troopers all wear the same armour. Naturally, Harmony's prone body would not be any more of an obstacle than that of a male trooper.

"Perhaps if you spent less time staring at my tits and more time serving the Emperor, you would achieve the mission objective more effectively, Timor." Harmony's response caused us all to chuckle.

Timor laughed. "It's a pity you didn't use that extra hole you received to bang all the rebels to death. With your special joygirl skills, the battle would have lasted a lot shorter and saved us a few casualties."

"Oh, Timor. From what Yalasa has told me, you are really good at banging people as well." Harmony pouted her lips at Timor and fluttered her eye lashes. "You seem to have a real talent for banging the object of your attentions more than once in a session. I wish I could have experienced that. Gosh, do you think I could, Timor?"

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time that I banged a trooper called Harmony. "

"Really?" Replied Harmony. "What was his first name?"

That caused a huge amount of hilarity among the male troopers present.

In the stormtrooper corps, male troopers tended to use their surname as personal identification in off-duty situations. Females often adopt false names which appeal to them. The name Harmony was quite popular among female troopers. It represented the determination of the trooper to bring harmony to the galaxy by enforcing the will of the Emperor and crushing his enemies. Of course, there were some male Troopers who had the surname Harmony. So it was not unheard of to have a male trooper to be called Harmony.

Female troopers used all sorts of names. Sometimes they were regular sounding surnames. Sometimes they were names of flowers or animals. I have no idea where Yalasa's name came from. I don't know if it is a surname, the name of a planet, the name of a living thing or a word for something else completely different.

"Fuck you, Harmony!" Exclaimed Timor. "I was talking about a female trooper. I tell you what. If you want to be with a real man instead of wimps like Mandala. You know where to come, babe. Timor will show you how it's done. In fact, I'll show you and Yalasa together without any problem."

Everyone laughed. Even Mandala laughed at that, obviously not taking Timor seriously. As Timor was speaking, Yalasa enter the room. Timor had his back to Yalasa so he didn't see her.

"By the way, where is Yalasa anyway? Is she still with Lieutenant Denlin?"

Yalasa was clearly in good spirits. She smiled and put her middle finger to her lips to signal silence. Then she tip-toed up to where Timor was sitting and stood silently behind him. Timor did not notice Yalasa was there. He was too busy listening to the sound of his own voice. The rest of us could hardly keep a straight face as Yalasa waited behind Timor in silence, a huge grin on her face. We waited in anticipation to see what would happen.

"What is Yalasa doing with him anyway?" Timor looked at the troopers around him, falsely believing that they were grinning at his humour. "I am sure she is …er… offering Lieutenant Denlin her thanks for giving her a promotion?"

Yalasa bent down beside Timor, her lips almost touching his ear. "And how would I give the Lieutenant my thanks, Timor?" She whispered.

"Fucking hell!" Yelped Timor, leaping up with terror. All the troopers laughed hysterically, including myself.

"Er...I was about to say that he was undoubtedly commending you on your performance in the last mission, Yalasa." Timor sat back down, clearly looking a little flustered.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's what you meant,Timor." Yalasa smiled as she sat beside him. She laid her tray on the table and started to eat her rations.

"You fucking bastards!" Timor looked around at us in disgust. "You knew she was there all the time. Is there no loyalty among fellow troopers anymore?"

"Not to you, Timor." Replied Mandala. We all laughed at that. It was good to see that Timor was the butt of the joke for a change.

"Oh, come on, Timor." Said Harmony. "Yalasa would never give sexual favours to get a promotion. But I would."

"Interesting that you are still only a trooper then, Harmony." Replied Timor.

"Oh, Timor. We all know why that is." Harmony smiled sweetly as she spoke. "It's because I don't have the right equipment. But you do, Timor. From what I heard, you should be Captain by now."

"Well, Harmony. My mentor at the academy always told me that I was officer material." Timor spoke confidently. I was not sure if Timor was being serious or just going along with Harmony's joke. "It's just a matter of time until, I rise up the ranks."

"Oh, Timor. I am sure that your mentor immediately recognised your, how shall we put it, enormous potential. "Harmony grinned at him malicious. "In fact, Yalasa told me about your massive tool. I hear it's long, hard and has a pointy end. I would love to see it?"

"Hey, what are you talking about?" Timor looked at Harmony and Yalasa suspiciously. Yalasa looked at him, desperately trying to stop herself from laughing.

"Well, it's just that I would love to see your…" Harmony made erotic circles on the table with her fingers as she spoke. "….Tusken gaffi stick."

We all burst out laughing again. Yalasa looked at Timor and barely held in a giggle. She snorted, hardly able to contain herself.

"You fucking told them all? Didn't you, you bitch? You told them about the Tusken raid?"

Yalasa nodded her head, grinning uncontrollably. She had told everyone about how Timor had been stabbed in the shoulder by a Tusken gaffi stick during the Tusken raid. Yalasa had also told everyone how she had teased him about it, comparing the gaffi stick wound to a jab from a toothpick.

"Toothpick Timor." Announced Mandala theatrically. "Purveyor or Tusken gaffi sticks and well ventilated Jawa cloaks."

That caused everyone to laugh hysterically again, except Timor of course. Yalasa giggled so uncontrollably that she had to sit with her head down on the table, her face buried in her arms. Timor just shook his head and grimaced.

As well as talking about the Tusken raid, Yalasa had also told everyone how Timor had sadistically shot a jawa several times during the raid on the Jawa sandcrawler. Thus the comment about ventilated jawa cloaks.

"You haven't told anyone else, have you?" Asked Timor.

At that moment, a few troopers from another squad passed behind Timor to take their seats in the mess. They had heard our conversation and were all smiling. They threw in a few comments as they passed him.

"Hey Timor. Do you have a tooth pick by any chance?"

"Hey Timor. I'm feeling bit warm. You wouldn't happen to have a Jawa cloak with holes in it, would you?"

"Fucking hell! Everyone in the whole damn ship knows?" Timor looked round in despair. He then glared at Yalasa. "You told everyone, you fucking bitch."

Everyone laughed again. Harmony giggled like a kowakian monkey lizard. I chucked with delight. Yalasa was still quivering with laughter, her face still buried in her arms on the table. I knew fine well how the other squads knew. Yalasa had told troopers from the other squads about Timor the previous evening. The other troopers had spread it around the stormtrooper quarters. Stories like these move fast.

After a few minutes of hilarity at Timor's expense, everyone finally stopped laughing. Probably, realising that he was not going to make much head way in taunting Yalasa and Harmony any more, Timor tried to move the conversation back to safer ground where he believed he would have an advantage. He was mistaken.

"Hey, Yalasa. We were all saying how we used to play at being stormtroopers when we were children..."

"As far as I can see, you never stopped playing at being a stormtrooper." Interjected Yalasa putting the emphasis heavily on the word 'playing'. Timor scowled as the other troopers around him laughed again.

"Yeah, very funny. Anyway, we were wondering." Timor regained his composure. "Did you play as a stormtrooper when you were young? You know, with your brothers?" It was actually Timor who was wondering. But I have to admit I was interested in Yalasa's answer.

"No, I have never played at being a stormtrooper." Replied Yalasa. "I have only ever been a real one." That answer made me grin. I heard a few chuckles from the other troopers around the table.

"Oh come on." Timor wasn't going to give up. "You must have played as a stormtrooper sometimes?"

"No. Really I didn't."

"Oh, come on. We all played as stormtrooper. "What were you doing then?"

"Oh, Timor." Yalasa fluttered her eye-lids at him, twirled her short regulation hair in her finger and spoke to Timor in the hesitant voice an innocent little girl. "I was far too busy playing with my dollies and picking pretty flowers when I was a little girl." Yalasa spoke as if she was joking. But on looking at melancholic expression on her face after she said it, I suspected there was a lot of truth in her words.

"Yeah, I can understand that." Timor said, not seeming to notice the change in Yalasa's expression. "I used to play with my cuddly toys when I was young."

We all grinned. It was difficult to imagine Timor playing with cuddly toys.

"Yeah, I used to line them up and execute them as rebel traitors." Timor made a shooting motion with his fingers. "Of course, I used to interrogate and torture them first."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Commented Yalasa dryly.

"Did you used to execute and torture your dollies, Yalasa?"

"As it happens, Timor...no. I didn't."

We all looked down and sat in awkward silence. The talk of executions had reminded us of Speeler's death during the decimation process. The mood suddenly became sombre. No one laughed. No one said anything. We just ate our rations, absorbed in our own thoughts. Only Harmony and Timor seemed to be relatively unaffected. Timor still babbled on to Harmony. She responded cautiously, glancing at us as she answered. But no one else was listening.

After we had all finished eating, Yalasa stood up and broke the silence.

"OK everyone. The Lieutenant has an announcement to make to us in Training room 5 in two hours. Ensure you are fully equipped and armed."

* * *

Two hours later, our whole platoon stood to attention in the training room fully equipped in our stormtrooper armour.

Eventually, Lieutenant Denlin entered the room accompanied by Commander Praji and Commander Jir. They looked stern faced. For a moment, I was concerned that we were to face another reprimand or punishment. But that was not the case.

This time Commander Praji stepped forward to address us. I remember the words clearly. They are words that I will never forget for the rest of my life.

"Despite your failure to capture the droids on Tatooine, Lord Vader has expressed satisfaction with your performance in recent missions. He has requested that this platoon be transferred to his command on the Death Star. You will leave for the Death Star immediately after this briefing is over."

My heart jumped with elation when I heard that. I would receive one of the greatest honours a stormtrooper could ever receive: To serve under the direct command of Lord Vader. My heart swelled with pride. I was glad I was wearing my helmet. I doubt that even my long years of conditioning would have stopped me grinning with glee when I heard the news. I was sure the other troopers felt the same.

That was the good news. Then came the bad news.

"When you are transferred to the Death Star, you will be put under the command of a new CO. Lieutenant Denlin and Sergeant-Major Andersen will not go with you."

I was sorry that we would lose Lieutenant Denlin and Sergeant-Major Andersen. I regarded them as effective and capable officers. Commander Praji continued.

"Lieutenant Denlin and Sergeant-Major Andersen will be transferred to a new posting. They will take command of a new platoon on Alderaan. I understand a few of you have volunteered to accompany him in this new posting."

That confused me. I asked myself why some of the troopers would rather go to Alderaan with Lieutenant Denlin rather than serve under Lord Vader. It was almost incomprehensible.

Commander Praji looked along our ranks and said one last thing.

"May you all serve the Empire well. In life. And in death."

* * *

_IMPERIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SECTION_

_REVIEW OF JOURNAL – TROOPER LC-9087_

_The subject suggests that Trooper NR-8306 (aka Timor) made comments that could be regarded as gross disobedience to a commanding NCO. However, Trooper RC-5342 (aka Yalasa) has requested that no reprimand should be imposed on Trooper NR-8306 (aka Timor) for these comments. In consequence, no disciplinary action will be taken._

_The subject confirms that Lieutenant Denlin treats female troopers more favourably than other commanders. We have no doubt that Lieutenant Denlin and his new all-female platoon will serve the Emperor well on Alderaan._


	22. Clones

**Author's Note: From now on the story moves onto the Death Star. To allow enough time the events of this story to unfold, I am assuming that there is a time lapse of about three weeks between the Falcon leaving Tatooine and then arriving on the Death Star. It can be assumed that The Falcon had to make a detour via several jumps to avoid Imperial patrols and reach the Alderaan system without being detected.**

CHAPTER 22 – CLONES

After the announcement from Commander Praji, the platoon marched directly out to the shuttle bay without stopping at our sleeping quarters or any other part of the ship. Four troopers stayed behind, presumably to accompany Lieutenant Denlin on his new posting to Alderaan.

We boarded a shuttle destined for the Death Star. We took our places in the troop compartment of the shuttle and removed our helmets as usual. Soon the shuttle took off and we left the Star Destroyer we had served in for the past two years.

At first, we all sat in silence. I suspect that each of us was absorbed in our own individual thoughts. It was a significant honour for us all to be posted to the Death Star under Lord Vader. The Death Star was the ultimate symbol of the Emperor's strength and power. Lord Vader was the most significant commander in the Empire apart from the Emperor himself. We all had an opportunity to demonstrate our devotion and dedication for the Emperor to Lord Vader himself. We would be able to truly show our worth at the centre of the Empire's military power. Serving on the Death Star with Lord Vader, we would contribute to the utter annihilation of the Emperor's most odious enemies, maintaining peace and order in the his glorious name.

I looked round the shuttle to see who had left with Denlin. As I observed the faces around me, I noticed that all the female troopers except Harmony and Yalasa were missing. All the male troopers were present. It struck me that Lieutenant Denlin must have specifically requested the female troopers for his posting on Alderaan. I wondered why. I also wondered if Yalasa and Harmony had also been asked.

When we arrived at the Death Star, we put on our helmets and formed up outside the shuttle. The shuttle bay was very large. It was several times larger than the shuttle bay in our Star Destroyer. I knew that there were several similar shuttle bays all around the space station. I am sure that the sight of the shuttle bay would have filled other lesser soldiers and civilians with a sense of wonder. But, it did not have a significant effect on me. I am never surprised at the power and magnificence of the Emperor. Apart from that, I had been on the Death Star before when I escorted Admiral Motti's sister here a few weeks ago. So it was not new to me.

Eventually an officer in the black uniform of a stormtrooper lieutenant turned up and led us to the stormtrooper area where we would be quartered. As usual, we changed out of our armour and went to a large medical area where medical droids administered us with inoculations and treatments to sterilise any germs or infections we may be carrying.

Then we put on our jumpsuits, went to our new quarters and chose our bunks. The whole platoon would be quartered in one sleeping area which was approximately the same size and shape as the one we had used in the Star Destroyer. I chose a bunk that was as far away from Timor as possible.

We were ordered to go to the troopers' mess to take our rations. Unlike the small cramped mess in the Star Destroyer which could only hold about 30 troopers at most, our mess in the Death Star was huge. I estimate that it could hold in excess of 500 troopers. Given the size of the Death Star and the stormtrooper garrison required, that did not surprise me.

I decided not to sit with the men from my squad. I was happy to sit with Bloor, Mandala and Davos. But I did not want to sit with Timor. I knew that I would be the butt of his jokes and I was not in the mood for it.

Instead, I decided to go and sit beside Yalasa and Harmony. They seemed surprised that I sat beside them. All the other male troopers seemed to be shunning them, leaving several spaces between them and the two female troopers. I noticed that when other troopers came into the mess, they always made an effort to sit as far as possible away from the two women.

After sitting down, I had a good look around to observe the troopers in the mess hall. Two facts became immediately apparent.

Firstly, I noticed that well over half of the troopers present were clones. There were different types of clones. There were a few of the original clones from the clone wars. But most were newer clones that the Empire had grown to be stormtroopers in more recent years. Everywhere I looked, there were rows of men with identical faces eating together. Often whole platoons were made up of the same clone.

It was a new experience for me to see so many clones. We did not see many in the academy, as clones were trained separately from regular troopers. In my previous unit on the Star Destroyer, almost all the troopers were regular human recruits. I had seen a few clones in other platoons when carrying out mission on-world. But I had never served with them.

In fact, the only clone with whom I had served directly was Noremac before he was killed by Organa on the Tantive. He was the only clone to serve in my previous stormtrooper company. He was an original clone from the clone wars. As I looked around the mess, I saw a few men with Noremac's face. It felt strange to see so many men in one place who looked exactly like my previous close companion.

The second thing I noticed was that, apart from Yalasa and Harmony, there were no female troopers at all. That too was unexpected. Although, female troopers were not common, I was used to seeing a few female troopers in my last posting. So to see none apart from my two squad mates was a mild, if not unwelcome, surprise.

In my previous platoon, there were six female trooper. Admittedly, this was regarded as a large number for a stormtrooper platoon of 40 troopers. However, our platoon was an exception in the stormtrooper corps. The troopers from my platoon all knew well that Lieutenant Denlin had a favourable disposition to female troopers for some reason and actively welcomed them into his unit. That was something I did not really understand. Most commanders regarded them as a burden.

It made me wonder if Yalasa and Harmony were the only female troopers on the whole Death Star. I wondered why there were so few female troopers. Whether it was a policy of high command not to use female troopers in the Death Star. Or whether they were on duty and I had just not seen them. Or whether they had also all gone with Lieutenant Denlin. In the end it occurred to me that it didn't matter. The station would probably operate more effectively if there less female troopers present.

When we were eating, I asked Yalasa and Harmony what Lieutenant Denlin had said to them and why the other female trooper from our platoon had not come with us. Yalasa stayed silent. But Harmony seemed happy to speak.

"He asked us if we wanted to go to a new posting." Said Harmony.

"Why would you go on another posting when you could serve Lord Vader on the Death Star?" I asked, incredulous.

Yalasa stayed silent. She looked intently at Harmony and shook her head. She clearly didn't want Harmony to say any more.

"He offered Yalasa a promotion." Said Harmony, ignoring Yalasa's silent plea. "In fact, he offered both of us a promotion?

"What? He was going to make Yalasa a sergeant?" I looked at them in disbelief and continued eating my rations. The idea of a woman becoming a sergeant seemed unbelievable to me. Yalasa was now glaring at Harmony with a furious look in her eyes. Harmony continued to ignore her.

"No. Not a sergeant." Harmony said, almost with indifference. "He was going to promote her to lieutenant."

I almost chocked to death at that point. For the next couple of minutes, I couldn't say a word as I attempted to clear my rations from my windpipe. Several other troopers looked around in annoyance as I coughed vigorously for a couple of minutes, trying not to die of suffocation. Harmony laughed and grinned at me with uncontained delight, thumping me on the back to help me clear my chest.

"Harmony!" Yalasa said, glaring at her with fury.

Eventually, after taking a few deep breaths and drinking a few sips of water, I managed to compose myself.

"You are joking of course?" I croaked, looking at Harmony and Yalasa in turn.

Harmony continued smiling broadly, obviously elated by my surprise. Yalasa looked down at her tray, almost as if she was ashamed. It then occurred to me that it was probably true. Lieutenant Denlin had offered to promote Yalasa to Lieutenant. It was astounding. Promoting any trooper direct from corporal to lieutenant in normal circumstances was exceptional. Any promotion above sergeant for a woman was generally seen as an impossibility.

Considering that both women were here on the Death Star, it was clear they had refused the offer. That raised another obvious question.

"Why didn't you take it then?" I asked.

Yalasa didn't answer me. She just sat in silence and continued looking down at her tray as she ate. I looked at her intently. She did not respond. I could see I would not get an answer from her.

"And he offered you a promotion?" I asked Harmony.

"Yes. As corporal."

After hearing about Yalasa, that did not surprise me.

"And why didn't you take it?"

Harmony looked at Yalasa. "She wanted to come here. I wasn't going to leave her. We have served with each other too long. We have depended on each other for too long."

I looked at Harmony incredulously for a moment. I was sure I would not have turned down a promotion if offered it.

"So what was your new posting?" I asked. I was interested to know what duties the new unit would be performing.

I didn't get my answer.

At that moment, a brawl suddenly broke out within a group of four clones at another table. They launched themselves at each other, attacking each other furiously with their knives and forks. One clone managed to force another down to the floor and stab him violently in the chest several times.

For a moment, the whole hall just looked on in shock. In my whole two years as a stormtrooper, I had never seen stormtroopers fight each other in the mess or off-duty. I had seen a few heated arguments. But never had I seen a brawl. And I certainly did expect such a level of violence.

Eventually, the fellow troopers of the four clones managed to restrain them and pin them to the floor. Shortly afterwards, a squad of eight armoured stormtroopers hurried in and took three of them away into detention. The recovery droid entered to take away the dead clone.

We didn't say any more after that. We just finished our rations as quickly as possible and left the mess.

Afterwards, we put on our armour and gathered in one of the parade halls with the rest of our platoon. As we stood at attention, a clone trooper in the black uniform of a lieutenant introduced us to the squad mates that would replace those who had left or who had fallen.

As usual, we stood to attention as each replacement entered the hall, was introduced to the platoon and took his place in our ranks. We received two replacements in our squad; a sergeant called Klaus and a corporal called Straven. I wondered why we were receiving another corporal when we already one. We would find out the answer soon enough.

Afterwards, the lieutenant put us through marching drills for three hours to allow the replacements to get used to their new platoon. There were no Thrawn drills this time. It was all marching in lines and block formations. It was still and agreeable experience, but I must admit that I did miss the variety, stimulation and challenge of Lieutenant Denlin's Thrawn drills.

After the drills were over, our new sergeant led us to one side of the parade room and ordered us to line up and remove our helmets. He also removed his helmet. At that point we could all see that both of the new replacements were clones. They were not the original clones like Noremac. They were newer clones that the Empire introduced more recently.

The first thing Sergeant Klaus did was demote Yalasa back to normal trooper. He told us that Corporal Straven would take over her corporal duties from now on. To my surprise, I found myself disagreeing with this decision. Normally, I would agree that females do not have the ability to be troopers, never mind be promoted to corporal. But in this case, I was used to serving under Yalasa. I trusted her as a commanding NCO and we had been through a lot together. I am sure my other squad mates, the clones excluded of course, felt the same way. However, we did not object. We would be obedient to the decisions and orders of our new commanding officers and NCOs. We had a new posting and new duties. We would readily accept our new clone NCOs in our service to the Empire.

In fact, part of me was enthusiastic about working with our fellow clone troopers. In the academy, we were always told that the clones were the perfect stormtroopers because their sole purpose and reason for existence was to serve the Emperor. Every regular human trooper aspired to be like a clone. In fact, that is the reason I was pleased to have Noremac as a companion. He was a true original clone warrior. And by being close to him, I always believed that I would make myself a perfect servant of the Emperor.

Sergeant Klaus walked in front of us and glared at us with obvious contempt. He told us that he was disappointed to be assigned to such a pathetic rabble of troopers. He told us that we were from a battalion of scum who would never reach the perfect standards set by a unit of clone troopers. He told us that he and Corporal Straven would try to kick us into shape. But he doubted that he would succeed given our inferior genetic origins. He also said that he would weed out the weaker elements in the squad. He stood glaring at Harmony and Yalasa with obvious contempt in his eyes when he said that last part.

He then informed us that Yalasa and Timor would receive their administrative punishment later the same day for serious breach of regulation. Timor for showing disobedience to Skeen when he was on Tatooine and Yalasa for speaking of Zarin's desertion when ordered not to.

It struck me that Klaus was nothing like Noremac. Noremac was a respected NCO who interacted with his men. Klaus seemed much harsher. I wondered which style of leadership was more common in the Empire. It occurred to me that Noremac's style of command may not have been typical for stormtrooper units.

Afterwards, Sergeant Klaus dismissed us. We went to the armoury, changed out of our armour and went back to our sleeping quarters for a short period of rest. Corporal Straven came in and chose his bunk. While he was there, none of us dared to talk to each other. We just lay or sat on our own bunks reading or listening to music. I decided to listen to an inspiring piece of classical opera called the 'The Mercy of Emperor Palpatine' as I updated my journal.

That particular opera piece relates how Emperor Palpatine and the forces of order ruthlessly crushed the elitist Jedi and their lackeys in the decadent Republican government, thus freeing billions in the galaxy from oppression, chaos and fear. It is a stirring piece that always provokes strong feelings of pride and honour within me. As I listened to the majestic sound of the orchestra and the beautiful voices of the singers, I could easily imagine myself marching forward alongside my fellow stormtroopers, slaughtering the weak and cowardly enemies of the Empire before us to the stirring rhythm of the music.

When Corporal Straven left the sleeping quarters, presumably to go and consult with Sergeant Klaus, I saw Harmony move over to Yalasa's bunk where the two women whispered together for a while. Timor and the men from the squad talked quietly together by Mandala's bunk, also in whispered tones.

Eventually, Harmony left Yalasa and returned to her own bunk. I stood up and went over to speak to Yalasa. She was just sitting on her bunk cross-legged, staring into space.

"Yalasa." I said, looking down at her.

She looked up at me with a blank expression on her face, but didn't say a word.

"The squad has lost a good corporal today." I said.

"I am sure that Sergeant Klaus and Corporal Straven will show us how we can better serve the Emperor. I am sure their experience will be beyond value." Yalasa replied. Despite her brave words, I could hear a tinge of sorrow in her voice.

I nodded. She looked down and closed her eyes, her hands cupped in her lap as if in prayer.

"You should have gone with Lieutenant Denlin." I said.

She looked up at me for a moment, as if she wasn't sure what I meant. I realised that my words could be taken ambiguously. She may have misinterpreted me, believing wrongly that I wanted her to go with Lieutenant Denlin. That I wanted her to leave us. I decided to clarify what I meant.

"With Lieutenant Denlin, you would have an opportunity to show your true worth to the Empire."

She continued looking at me. I believe she realised I was being sincere.

"Do you really want to know why I stayed?" She asked.

"Of course." I replied confidently. "It is a great honour to serve under Lord Vader on the Death Star. We shall be able to better contribute to the glory of the Empire."

"Yes, that is true. But it is not just that. "Her eyes sparkled as she spoke." It is because I did not want to leave my squad. I did not want to leave behind my band of brothers. We went through the fire together in the name of the Emperor and we came out the other side. You all put faith in me. You all stepped forward for me when you could have abandoned me. I will not abandon you, now. I just can't. Regardless of what the consequences may be."

"Even if it means demotion?"

"Yes, even if I have to serve as a regular trooper. You are still my squad. And I will do all I can to show myself worthy of you and the Emperor. Here is where I belong. Here is where I serve the Emperor best."

I understood the sentiment of what she said. But I still could not believe that she would forgo such a good opportunity for promotion.

"But you could have been a Lieutenant." I whispered. I did not want to speak too loudly. I did not know what the other men in the squad knew. "How could you turn that down?"

"I still have a lot to learn." She replied. "I don't deserve to be a lieutenant. I do not have the experience or the competence to serve the Emperor in that role. At least, not now. And I do not wish to be made an officer just sit idle in a garrison while others fight the enemies of the Emperor. Nor do I wish to lead my troopers to their deaths because I lack the required leadership experience and ability."

I shook my head and looked at her incredulously. It only justified even more to me why the Empire was reluctant to include women in the military. They were ruled by their emotions. They just did not understand the concepts of logic and reason. She looked up at me, bemused by the expression on my face.

"Would you have taken Lieutenant Denlin's offer?" She asked me.

"Yes." Was all I said. "I would feel duty bound to accept."

"When Lieutenant Denlin made the offer, he released me from any obligation to accept." Yalasa said. "He gave me the right to refuse. He specifically asked us all to make the decision from our own conscience. He told us to look into our hearts and ask ourselves where we can serve the Emperor best. I did not dishonour myself or anyone else by refusing his offer."

I considered what she said and nodded acknowledgement. If Yalasa was here, it was because she felt more honour staying with us than going with Lieutenant Denlin. I could accept her decision was honourable. But I still could not understand it.

"Nevertheless, I would not hesitate to serve the Emperor in the highest capacity offered to me." I stated firmly. "If I was given the opportunity."

"Even if you had to leave your squad? Leave those you have served alongside for so long?"

"Yes."

I saw a slight smile touch her lips.

"Then you and I are very different."

With that she lay back on her bunk and closed her eyes. I wanted to speak more, but I realised that our conversation was over. She was a fellow trooper and I felt honour bound to respect her wishes. Reluctantly, I returned to my bunk.

I realised she would want to rest. Later today, she would receive her administrative punishment. I was not looking forward to it. I knew it would be a difficult ordeal for the whole squad.

* * *

_IMPERIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SECTION_

_REVIEW OF JOURNAL – TROOPER LC-9087_

_We note that the four clone troopers involved in the brawl in the troopers' mess had been assigned to escort Leia Organa between detention blocks earlier the same day. We are not sure if Organa's insidious influence may have resulted in their subsequent violent behaviour. __We recommend that the subject's squad be assigned to future transfers as per the original plan, given their apparent resistance to Organa._

_We note that General Moradim Bast has lodged an official objection to the demotion of trooper RC-5342 (aka Yalasa). We do not know why an officer of General Bast's seniority has taken so much interest in this routine case._

* * *

**Authors Note: If you wish to find out what happened to the female troopers that went with Denlin, then please look at my other story 'Band of Sister – The Lost Company" which can be regarded as a spin-off of this story.**


	23. Administrative Punishment

CHAPTER 23 – ADMINSTRATIVE PUNISHMENT

A couple of hours after my conversation with Yalasa, Corporal Straven entered our quarters and ordered Harmony and I to report to the armoury to prepare for Yalasa's administrative punishment.

The basic principle of administrative punishment is that the trooper to be disciplined is beaten and tortured by two of his closest fellow companions. Unlike other services in the imperial military, the stormtrooper corps does not carry out physical punishment in public to discipline us for breach of procedure. There are no public whippings in the stormtrooper corps. For us it is close and personal.

The application of administration punishment involves four troopers. There is the 'prisoner' who will receive the punishment. There is the 'director' who directs the punishment. And there are two 'administrators' who administer the punishment. In this case, Corporal Straven was the director, Yalasa was the prisoner, while Harmony and I were the administrators.

The four of us would all report to a detention cell where Yalasa would receive one hour of beatings and torture for failing to obey orders. In another detention cell, Timor would receive the same treatment from Mandala and Davos under the direction of Sergeant Klaus. Timor's punishment related to the time on Tatooine when he openly displayed disrespect towards Skeen in front of the rest of the squad. Since Skeen was Timor's commanding NCO at the time, the disrespect constituted a serious breach of regulation and thus required administrative punishment.

For stormtroopers in active service, administrative punishment is given to any troopers who commit a serious breach of regulations that does not lead to a critical mission failure. It can also be given for minor breach of regulations that leads to a minor or moderate mission failure. This can include failure to obey orders, failing to eat rations, showing disobedience to a commanding NCO or officer, showing disrespect to anyone regarded as important in the Empire, brawling with another trooper, breaching a minor regulation that leads to the death of a fellow trooper and various other offenses.

Although, administrative punishment is by no means a regular occurrence for an individual trooper or squad, neither is it uncommon. In a company sized unit which is on active service, there is probably one administrative punishment carried at least one a month. So we were used to see someone being dragged out for administrative punishment on a reasonably regular basis. For us it is neither shocking, scandalous or even dishonourable.

In the stormtrooper academy, administrative punishment is applied even more regularly and rigorously to stormtrooper trainees. It is applied for even the most minor breaches of regulations. In fact, the regulations are so tight in the academy that it is impossible to avoid receiving administrative punishment at least a dozen times while training to be a stormtrooper. This is because receiving and giving beatings is effectively part of our training and conditioning. It reminds us of the importance of obeying regulations and thus demonstrating complete obedience to the will of the Emperor. And it toughens us up physically and mentally.

By the time a stormtrooper graduates from the academy, administrative punishment ceases to become a deterrent to breaching regulation. By then, we are so conditioned to pain and punishment, that administrative punishment is not seen a major ordeal. It is still applied after graduation from the academy, but it is seen as much as a training exercise as it is regarded as a punishment. Indeed, it has several training functions for both administrators and prisoners alike.

Firstly, it reinforces our conditioning and obedience to the Emperor. By forcing two troopers to beat a close companion, all involved in the process are reminded that their primary loyalty is to the Emperor; and to the Emperor alone. We are not loyal to any individual troopers or commanders. We are only loyal to others in service of the Emperor.

Administrative punishment reminds us that we could potentially be required to beat, torture or kill our closest companions in service of the Empire. Beating and torturing our fellow trooper also conditions us to carry out similar acts of violence and brutality against enemies of the Empire without hesitation or regret. After all, if we are able to carry out acts of such brutality against a close companion, we will have no issue in applying violence to others who we do not know or care about. Thus we serve the Emperor better. All this is explained to us in the academy.

Secondly, carrying out administrative punishment gives us practice in applying just the right amount of brutality and violence when dealing with prisoners we have to detain. We have to ensure we apply enough force to keep the prisoner under control, but apply enough restraints to ensure we do not damage the prisoner unnecessarily. Applying administrative punishment to a fellow trooper helps us train in these aspects of prisoner detention, management and damage control.

Thirdly, receiving administrative punishment as a 'prisoner' allows us to obtain training in resisting the harsh treatment we may receive if we are captured and interrogated by enemy forces. No imperial stormtrooper would ever willingly surrender. However, we may be taken prisoner if we are ordered to surrender by a commanding officer. Or if we are incapacitated in combat, our unconscious body could fall into enemy hands.

When Yalasa was informed of her administrative punishment, Corporal Straven selected me and Harmony to carry out the sentence. Normally, but not always, the commanding NCO picks the closest companions of the prisoner. It was a dubious honour for me to be regarded as one of Yalasa's closest companions. It meant that I, together with Harmony, would have to severely beat and torture Yalasa to punish her for her breach of regulation. And of course, we would not be free from receiving pain ourselves.

Many in other imperial military arms see stormtroopers as brutal and cruel. They believe that we relish violence, death and pain. Our administrative punishment procedure only reinforces that image of us. Indeed this is an image we are more than happy to portray to others outside the corps. However, the judgement is not accurate.

First and foremost, we are dedicated to enforcing the will of the Emperor. We do this by obeying orders conveyed to us by our commanding NCOs and officers. The achievement of our mission objective is our primary goal. Killing and brutality is only a method to obtain our objective. They are a means to an end. But they are not objectives in themselves.

Corporal Straven, Harmony and I went to the armoury and collected our equipment.

Corporal Straven put on full stormtrooper armour including his helmet. He also picked up an unloaded E-11 blaster rifle. He would be directing the course of the administrative punishment. He wore full stormtrooper armour to indicate he was acting as commanding NCO.

Since Harmony and I would administer the punishment on Yalasa, we put on put on full stormtooper armour, with exception of the helmet and gloves. When carrying out administrative punishment on a fellow trooper, we never wear our helmets. Instead, we equipped ourselves with small earphones so that we can receive the director's instructions without the prisoner hearing him. We also don't wear gloves to ensure we do not damage the prisoner unnecessarily when striking them.

When we carry out administrative punishment, the administrators wear stormtrooper armour to remind the prisoner that he is being punished by the stormtrooper corps. But by not wearing helmets, the prisoner is also reminded that the punishment is administered by his closest companions.

The act of applying administrative punishment to a fellow trooper is not regarded as an agreeable task. In fact, it is regarded as a punishment in itself. Not only must the administrators cause pain to a close companion. But also, the act of striking and electroshocking the prisoner causes physical pain to the administrators. This makes the prisoner understand that his actions has consequences on not only on himself, but on the others who serve with him.

Harmony and I also equipped ourselves with electric batons. These would be used to strike the prisoner or apply a painful electric charges. The charge could be adjustable up or down. The batons were shaped vaguely like E-11s, probably to further remind the prisoner that the stormtrooper corps is carrying out the punishment. They also permitted the administrators to practice administering beatings with a tool that they would use on regular duty.

After equipping ourselves, Corporal Straven led us back to the sleeping quarters. There he ordered us to detain Yalasa for administrative punishment. Harmony and I grabbed Yalasa roughly and pulled her up off her bunk. Then we pulled her arms behind her back and put restraints on her wrists.

The other troopers in the sleeping quarters reacted in different ways to Yalasa's detention. Some looked on in vague curiosity. Others ignored the whole event. As far as they were concerned it was just another trooper being taken for administrative punishment. It was not an event of great interest or significance in the life of a stormtrooper. Even Timor sat quietly in his bunk. Probably waiting patiently for Mandala and Davos to detain him for his administrative punishment which would take place the same day.

Administrative punishment is not seen as an event worthy of note by troopers not directly involved in the process. Unlike a critical mission failure, serious breach of regulation does not bring shame on the whole unit. It is regarded as a matter of personal shame and honour. As long as the regulation breach does not lead to critical mission failure, it does not impact on the honour of the trooper's unit. So troopers tend to regard the application of administration punishment with indifference. If a trooper is not one of the four participants involved in the process, they usually just ignore it as a mundane event of little interest.

We marched Yalasa into the corridor and took her to a detention cell. As we walked through the corridors, we passed a few off-duty troopers. Again, most looked at us with indifference or ignored us.

The detention cell was empty apart from a chair in the centre of the room. Corporal Straven ordered Harmony and me to put Yalasa in the chair. We both grabbed Yalasa firmly by her arms and dumped her in the chair. We then removed her bonds as they we no longer required. The bonds only served a ceremonial purpose during the moment of detention to indicate that Yalasa was now a prisoner.

I stood to Yalasa's right, while Harmony stood to her left. Corporal Straven stood in front of Yalasa. He informed Yalasa that she would receive one hour of administrative punishment for failure to obey a direct order. Corporal Straven confirmed the background of the case, stating that that Yalasa had spoken of a forbidden subject with her fellow troopers when specifically ordered not to. I knew that Corporal Straven was referring to the time on Tatooine when Yalasa spoke of Zarin's desertion and treachery. Since Captain Terrik had forbidden us to speak of Zarin or his desertion, Yalasa had committed a serious breached regulations and was required to receive admistrative punishment for it.

Corporal Straven gave me a signal to strike Yalasa. I struck Yalasa on the side of the head with my baton and the administrative punishment began.

For the next hour, we administered Yalasa with her punishment. We struck her with our hands or batons as instructed by Corporal Straven. He spoke to us though headphones so that Yalasa would not know what was coming. Corporal Straven directed everything. Whether we should strike her with the baton or with our hands. How hard we should strike her. Whether we should apply an electrical charge through the baton. And how much charge we should apply.

The punishment is not a pain-free experience for the two administrators. We obviously receive injuries to our bare hands when striking the prisoner. But equally, wielding the baton is a painful experience. Whenever we applied an electrical charge to Yalasa, we also received a painful shock through the baton. The main reason is to ensure that the admistrators do not punish the prisoner too zealously. This is especially important where one of the Administrators may have sadistic tendencies like Timor. The fact that we receive pain ourselves when administering punishment ensures that we are not more heavy handed than necessary. After all, the object is to punish the prisoner; not permanently damage him.

Apart from that, it reminds us that failing the Emperor can inadvertently cause pain to those who are not to blame. As Yalasa's closest companions, we were also punished for her failure.

As Administrators, Harmony and I followed Corporal Straven's directions to the letter. He started out ordering us to apply some blows to Yalasa's head while she was sitting down. Then he ordered us to stand her up to apply some blows and electrical charges to the body. Then he ordered us to lean her against a wall and apply more blows and electrical charges to her body and head.

Yalasa cried out a few times when she was struck. There is no restriction on how much the prisoner is allowed to scream, grunt or whimper during punishment. The prisoner can even weep if he wants. The only thing the prisoner is not allowed to do is beg for mercy or ask the punishment to stop. Such acts are prohibited and would prolong the punishment

After three quarters of an hour, Yalasa was a bruised and bloody mess. Indeed, towards the end of the session, I feared the that the punishment inflicted on Yalasa was becoming too intense. A few times I became concerned that the heavy blows we were ordered to carry out would damage Yalasa more than was required.

At one time, when the beatings got very severe, I made a hand-signal to Corporal Straven to indicate that I believed we risked killing the prisoner. I noticed that Harmony also made the signal, indicating that she agreed with me. As administrators, we are permitted to silently signal to the director that we feel that the punishment is going too far. However, we must continue obey the instructions of the Director, even if it means damaging or even killing the prisoner.

The first couple of times we made the signal, Corporal Straven ignored us. But a little, later he ordered us to reduce the intensity and weight of the blows. He clearly didn't want to risk being executed for killing the prisoner.

A stormtrooper is an asset of the Empire. So it is a top priority objective to ensure that the prisoner is not killed or permanently damaged during administrative punishment. If a prisoner is killed, then the director and the two administrators are subject to a decimation process, with one of the three being executed for failing a top-priority objective. If Yalasa had died during the administrative punishment, I would not have stepped forward for Corporal Straven during the decimation selection process. And I doubted Harmony would have either. So if Yalasa had died from our blows, Corporal Straven, as the commanding NCO, would probably have been executed for failing a top priority objective. I am sure he understood this. And that is why he reduced the level of the punishment.

When the hour finally came to an end, we dragged Yalasa's bloody and beaten body out of the cell. She was in far worse shape than most troopers who receive administrative punishment. We dragged her through the corridors and dumped her unconscious body on the floor of the medical centre as is tradition for administrative punishment. We handed our equipment in at the armoury before reporting to a medical droid. The droid treated the injuries on our hands that had been caused from striking Yalasa.

Then after all that was done, Harmony and I went for dinner in the mess.

* * *

In the mess, Harmony and I picked up our rations and sat together at one of the tables. A little later, we were joined by Bloor, Mandala and Davos. Obviously, Timor and Yalasa were not there, still being treated for their injuries in the medical centre. They would be unavailable for duty for at least the next two days.

In the mess, I asked Harmony where she was from. She told me that she originally came from an industrial planet on the outer-rim. Tired of the terrible working-conditions and abuse suffered on her home-world, she obtained passage on a freighter hoping to find a better life elsewhere. When she arrived at her core-world destination, she found that there were no opportunities for physically strong women who were experienced in manual labour. With nowhere else to go, she presented herself to the local stormtrooper recruitment centre and passed the initial enty tests and examinations. From there she entered one of the academies to start her full stormtrooper training. Harmony's story was typical among female stormtroopers.

As we were sitting eating, two off-duty male stormtroopers from a different platoon came to our table and sat beside us. Like us they were dressed in off-duty jumpsuits.

"You are LC-9087, aren't you?" Asked one of the men. I confirmed to them that they were correct.

"I told you it was him." Said the man to his companion.

"Who are you?" I asked cautiously.

"I am Corporal Tanner." Replied the trooper smiling. "And my companion beside me here is trooper Quartz."

"How do you know me?" I asked. I could tell that Harmony and the three men from my squad were also intrigued by my question.

"I have a message from Jentessa Motti." Tanner replied.

"Jentessa Motti?" I was shocked that someone like Jentessa Motti would want to send a lowly trooper like me a message. "For me?"

"Yeah." Tanner grinned amiably. "She says she can't marry you."

"Marry me?" I opened my eyes wide and looked at them in confusion. Tanner smiled broadly. The other troopers around me chuckled at my reaction.

Tanner laughed and shrugged his soldiers. "That's what she said. She is going to marry Grand Admiral Batch instead, I'm afraid."

I thought back to the only time I had met Jentessa Motti. I had escorted her to the Death Star after some civil disturbances on Alderaan. I remembered that she had made a comment to her brother about marrying me. Naturally, I just ignored it as a light-hearted jest from a carefree aristocratic lady.

However, I must admit that just for a moment, I imagined myself standing by the altar in front of the veiled Jentsaa Motti, declaring a solemn oath of marriage. I also imagined being surrounded by the top leaders of the Empire; Lord Vader, Grand Moff Tarkin, Admiral Motti, General Tagge. Even the Emperor himself.

"Hey, snap out of it trooper." I jumped as the giggling Harmony snapped her fingers in front of my face.

"Looks like our most loyal soldier of the Empire is dreaming of wedding bells." Said Mandala. The others laughed.

"Don't get caught thinking of her too much, son." Said Tanner, slapping me on the shoulder in a friendly manner. "She's the betrothed of a Grand Admiral now. You'll just have to forget her."

Of course, the idea of marriage to any woman was unthinkable to me. I had given a lifetime oath to the Emperor. And I would fulfil that oath until I died in his glorious name. But I can't help admitting that I did feel flattered that Jentessa Motti had remembered me.

"Well there is only one way for our heart-broken friend to forget the loss of his true love." Harmony patted me on the back in feigned sympathy. "You'll have to join the Stormtrooper corps."

Then Harmony put her hand to her mouth and feigned surprise. "But wait. You already have." The others laughed. I smiled and then laughed as well.

"How do you know Jentessa Motti?" I asked Tanner.

"We were assigned to guard her. On a four-zero A order."

"A four-three A order?" Wide-eyed, I looked at Tanner incredulously. Such high priority protection orders were normally reserved for high command in the imperial military such as Lord Vader and Grand Admirals. "Are you being serious?"

"Well, she is to marry a Grand Admiral." Said Tanner. "Someone in the imperial high command clearly sees her as very important. Important enough for a four-zero A order."

I shrugged. Tanner's response made sense. Although it still surprised me.

"That lady Motti is a real live wire. She had Admiral Batch pursuing her through a ray shaft."

Having met Lady Motti and knowing how mischievous she could be, that didn't surprise me. The troopers around me laughed at the thought of an aristocratic lady and a Grand Admiral scrambling around a ray shaft together.

"Did Lady Motti speak to you?" I asked Tanner.

"Actually. It was a female trooper called Silvia Loreno who took the message. But she is no longer here."

"Where did she go?" I asked. I looked at Harmony. She was listening intently with evident curiosity. "Loreno, I mean."

"She left a few days ago with the rest of the female troopers stationed here."

"So that's why there are no female troopers here."

"Yup. There was a handful of them. All first class troopers. They all left together." Tanner exchanged a solemn glance with Quartz. "We were sorry to see Loreno go. She was one hell of a trooper. She would have definitely been promoted if she was not a woman."

I saw Quartz nod agreement. I raised my eye-brows again in surprise. So did Harmony. That was the first time in my career I had heard a regular NCO stormtrooper openly praise female trooper. That shocked me.

What shocked me even more, was that I found myself wishing that I could have met trooper Silvia Loreno.

* * *

**Author's note: Many thanks to author Ladyofdarkstar for allowing me to refer to her OC, Jentessa Motti. If you wish to know more about Tessa Motti, please read Family Ties 1 and 2 by the same author. I thoroughly recommend the story.**

**Also, please note that the character Silvia Loreno appears in my other stormtrooper story, Band of Sisters - The Lost Stormtrooper Company.**


	24. Guard Duty, Patrol and Prisoner Escort

CHAPTER 24 - GUARD DUTY, PATROL AND PRISONER ESCORT

The next three days were uneventful.

The day after the administrative punishments were complete, we were assigned to routine patrol and guard duty. Yalasa and Timor were still missing as they were still recovering from their injuries in the medical centre. They would be there at least two days. The rest of us equipped our stormtrooper armour and E-11 blaster rifles in the armoury and exited the stormtrooper area for the first time since we arrived on the Death Star.

For the whole of the first day, Sergeant Klaus and Corporal Straven led us around the area of the battle station where we would carry out our patrol and guard duties. Our assigned zone was extensive. It included gun emplacements, detention blocks, public areas, command centres, docking bays and observation decks. Of course, to get between our assigned locations we had to walk through numerous corridors and travel via turbo lift.

There was an endless number of corridors, doorways and turbolifts connecting the various areas of the death star. To new recruits and civilian visitors, it must have seemed confusing. But to us it was just another imperial military installation. With our extensive knowledge of imperial location indicators, we had no problem knowing where we were or where to go. Walking around corridors that all looked the same was second nature to us.

At the beginning of the second day, we were required to witness the decimation execution of the clone who had killed his fellow trooper in the mess. It was nothing like Speeler's execution. Together with several other platoons, we formed up in ranks in the parade hall. A squad of troopers escorted the trooper in and quickly executed him by firing squad. Then we all marched out to our other duties. This time there were no last words, there was no saluting, there was no standing to attention, there was no guard of honour. It was just a straight forward execution of a trooper who had failed the Emperor and deserved death.

After the execution, we were assigned to routine guard duty. This time Sergeant Klaus led us to the locations where we would stand guard. He assigned Harmony and me to stand guard over a gunnery installation. As expected on such assignments, we stood in silence for several hours as the turbolaser crews and officers went about their duties. When we were relieved by another two stormtroopers, we returned to the stormtrooper area, where we ate and then went to our sleeping quarters.

When we were off duty, we just relaxed in our sleeping quarters. I chatted with the others, read, listened to music or updated my journal. Towards the end of the second day, Harmony invited me to join her in her bunk. I accepted. With so few female soldiers in the Death Star, I did not waste my opportunity.

On the third day, Timor and Yalasa returned to duty. They still had some bruises and cuts on their faces from the administrative punishment. They still had lot of the superficial injuries for all to see. This was partly because the medical droids had concentrated all their efforts on healing the more serious and critical injuries. It was important to ensure that the troopers were fit for active service straight away. Facial scars and injuries were not a priority, especially because no one would see our faces behind our helmets anyway.

Of course, the facial injuries were left for a secondary reason: To remind us all of the consequences of failing to comply with regulations. Every time we looked at the ugly scars and bruises on the faces of Timor and Yalasa, we were reminded that punishment always awaited those who failed to comply with the will of the Emperor. The lesson was simple. Where there was disobedience to the Emperor, there could only be pain and suffering.

Over time, the medical droids would gradually heal all the scars, bruises and injuries of both Yalasa and Timor as they successfully carried out future duties and missions. Eventually, all injuries caused by the administrative punishment would disappear. It reminds us of the selfless generosity of the Emperor. The Empire can inflict pain and misery on those who are disobedient. But it can also benefit and heal those who serve it well.

After collecting our equipment in the armoury, Sergeant Klaus split the squad into two parts. I was assigned to a four man unit led by corporal Straven which also included Yalasa and Timor. The other troopers went on patrol with sergeant Klaus. At that moment I was not sure why we had been split up in this manner. But we would find out why the following day.

For the first half of the third day, we patrolled around our assigned areas of the space station, principally to permit Yalasa and Timor to familiarise themselves with our zone of operations. For the second half of the day, we stood guard in a docking bay. As usual, we carried out our duties in silence, only speaking when our duties required it. After an uneventful day, we returned to our quarters to eat, rest and sleep.

The next day everything changed.

After collecting our equipment in the armoury, we were assigned to our two separate groups again. After leaving the stormtrooper zone of the station, Corporal Straven led us to a detention block where we would carry out a prisoner transfer assignment under order 4669A. The order required us to transfer an assigned prisoner from one detention block to another. The order also required us to defend the prisoner with our lives, while ensuring that the prisoner did not escape. We were only permitted to use minimum force to ensure the prisoner complied with instructions. But we could not physically damage him or her. We were not permitted to stun the prisoner at any time, unless we were faced with an emergency situation that endangered the prisoner's life. Someone in authority obviously required the prisoner to be in a lucid and unharmed state when he or she arrived at his or her destination.

If the prisoner escaped, was killed or was injured, we would all be up for decimation for failing a critical priority mission. After the decimation process resulting in the execution of Speeler; Yalasa, Timor and I were determined not to suffer such an ignominy again.

After walking through a few corridors and taking a turbo-lift, we arrived at the detention block. Corporal Straven consulted with the navy troopers in the detention block control room. They confirmed that we could enter the area containing the detention cells. We walked down the narrow metal corridors and found the detention cell containing our prisoner.

When we entered the detention cell, we found Leia Organa lying on the hard metal bench at the far end of the cell, wearing a loose fitting white robe. That was a surprise for me. I wondered why Organa was still alive. I assumed that she would have been terminated by now. I also wondered why we had been assigned as her prisoner escort. There were thousands of troopers on the Death Star.

I must admit that I was apprehensive about escorting Organa again. I well remembered the previous time on the Tantive three weeks before when Organa almost caused a firefight in the turbolift and probably caused Skeen to go mad. However, our commanding officers had assigned us to carry out this task. They obviously had confidence that we could complete the mission. I would not hesitate to carry out my duty.

Corporal Straven and Timor stood at the door of the detention cell, while Yalasa and I approached the prisoner. Organa looked at Timor, Yalasa and me in our stormtrooper armour with curiosity.

"You three again?" She smiled at us. "You'd think the Empire only had ten stormtroopers and just used them over and over again."

I was convinced that Organa was probably playing some game with us to make us nervous. I told myself that she probably said the same things to all stormtroopers to disconcert us. I was sure she hadn't really recognised us as she could not see our faces behind our stormtrooper helmets.

Yalasa grabbed Organa's hand started to put restraints on them. Meanwhile, Organa looked directly at Corporal Straven standing at the door and smiled sweetly.

"Oh, And a clone. It's always an honour to be in the presence of the Empire's elite."

I did wonder if Organa was being sincere or ironic when she said that. I received my answer straight away.

"Of course, I am not talking about clone-boy there." Organa smiled maliciously at Corporal Straven. Then she nodded towards Yalasa. "I was talking about her."

I found myself swallowing hard behind my helmet. It disconcerted me that she had somehow recognised Yalasa was a woman again. Not forgetting the fact that she also somehow knew that the corporal was a clone. I was concerned that she would provoke one of us go mad again like Skeen. Then she seemed to read my mind.

"And where is the sergeant with the supposed flyboy father?" Organa asked, now looking at me. "Did he realise his parents were rebels after all?"

By now Yalasa had finished binding Organa's hands. Yalasa pulled Organa off her bench. Organa continued looking at me.

"I wonder who your father was." She said to me as Yalasa and I pulled her towards the door. "A Tie-fighter pilot? Or perhaps the captain of a star destroyer. Or maybe a colonel in the imperial army? That's what they normally tell the sons of rebels."

I smirked to myself as Organa spoke. It was clear to me that she was only guessing. She was a typical rebel. Full of lies and misinformation.

"But I am still certain you were told he was a Tie-Fighter pilot." Organa squinted her eyes at me as we reached the door. "Yes, definitely a Tie-fighter pilot."

That put a shiver down my spine. My father was indeed a Tie-fighter pilot. Organa turned her attention to Timor.

"Well, you are no rebel." She said firmly looking at Timor. "Just a regular psychopath. But probably not a very competent stormtrooper. You must have just barely scraped through in the academy."

Having seen Timor on duty, it would not surprise me if Organa was right about him. She was definitely right about Timor being a psychopath. And Timor had a tendency to get distracted and carry out his duties in an inefficient manner.

"Enough!" The voice of Corporal Straven spoke firmly to Organa. "Stay silent! Otherwise we will not hesitate to gag you."

Organa laughed at him. "Don't be ridiculous corporal. If you were going to gag me, you would have done so by now. I presume that you are required to transfer me unharmed to another location under a 4669A order. Your superiors are probably hoping that I may give away some information during the journey. That is why they arranged for troopers I am familiar with to escort me. They are hoping I will talk freely as you escort me through the station. They probably hope that the false sensation of freedom from walking through the corridors will loosen my tongue. Especially as their other methods have proved to be unsuccessful so far."

Again, it disconcerted me how Organa had been able to guess our orders. It would make keeping Organa in line much more difficult when she knew the restrictions we were under. It also reminded me only too well what happened last time we escorted Organa. And the subsequent effect it seemed to have on Skeen.

Corporal Straven and Timor exited the detention cell. Yalasa and I shoved Organa out the door after them and we entered the corridor connecting the detention cells to the control room.

"I do wonder what is the purpose of this transfer." Mused Organa. "Is it an attempt to disorientate me by having me walk about the station? Or maybe you hope to overawe me with the immense power of the Death Star? Or maybe my interrogator wants me closer to his quarters so that he can stay an extra ten minutes in his bed before coming to torture me."

I did not know the purpose of the transfer was. We were not told the reason because we do not need to know. But in truth, any of Organa's suggestions could be the true. Sometimes we did take prisoners on a walk to disorientate them or intimidate them with the sight of imperial military power. Sometimes imperial officers hoped that prisoners would spill valuable information as they tried to either intimidate or reason with their guards. I doubted that any such tactics would work with Organa though.

Of course, not all reasons for the trip were necessarily to disorientate, intimidate or manipulate the prisoner. Sometimes the prisoner had to be transferred for reasons of convenience, security or hygiene. And sometimes, the objective was to simply give the prisoner some exercise without making him think that we were doing him a favour or giving him a reward or perk.

"Silence!" Said Yalasa in the male synthesised voice of her helmet, shoving Organa forward.

Organa turned to smirk at Yalasa. "You still push like a girl."

"Keep moving!" I said, also shoving her forward.

Organa smiled maliciously back at me, after recovering her balance. "And you shove like the son of a rebel."

Organa's assertion infuriated me. But I drew on all my conditioning to retain my self control. I repeated my oath to the Emperor to remind myself that I must meet the mission objective regardless of the obstacles put in our way. 'I am, and always will be, a loyal servant of the Galactic Empire...' I began to recite to myself in silence.

We escorted Organa past the navy troopers in the control room and exited into the corridor. We dropped again into a square formation. Corporal Straven and Timor were at the front, Organa was in the middle, while Yalasa and I covered the rear. As the troopers in the rear, controlling the prisoners would be my and Yalasa's responsibility. But with the restrictions of a 4669A order, I knew from experience that keeping Organa obedient and silent would be almost impossible.

As we walked down the corridor, Organa dropped back so that she was walking between me and Yalasa. Organa turned to Yalasa.

"I am sure your are the best trooper in your unit." There was no hint or sarcasm or irony in Organa's voice. She seemed to be speaking with complete sincerity.

Both Yalasa and I shoved her forward. But Organa dropped back beside us again. Unfortunately, there was little we could do to prevent her under a 4669A order. Organa addressed Yalasa again.

"You know that all female troopers are within the top 25% in the stormtrooper corps. An average female trooper is far superior to the average male trooper. And many times more effective than the average clone. Do you know why?"

"Silence!" Said Yalasa shoving Organa forward again. I also shoved her again to emphasise the point. But nothing could discourage Organa from finishing her discourse of lies and deceit. Corporal Straven and Timor did not intervene. As the two guards at the rear, it was our duty to keep the prisoner moving forward.

"It is because the Empire only allows the very best females to enter and succeed in the stormtrooper corps." Said Organa after insolently dropping back once again. "At every level, they are discriminated against. Most male officers in the academy find any excuse to throw them out. But even the Empire will not discard a high quality trooper. So they allow the very best in the corps. Only the very best women succeed. Only the strongest, the fastest, the toughest, the most intelligent, the most dedicated, the most skilled, the most athletic and most loyal women ever become stormtroopers. That is why there are so few. A few like you."

Again we ordered her to stay silent and shoved her forward again. But she still kept talking, spouting her rebel propaganda and lies. It was after all common knowledge and and obvious fact that all women troopers were completely inferior to their male counterparts. It was also common knowledge that clones made the best troopers.

"I only wish that I could form a female unit of stormtroopers under my command." Continued Leia, still speaking to Yalasa with apparent sincerity. "They would be one of the best military units in the galaxy. No all-male unit would match them."

We didn't have to push Leia forward this time. She stepped forward into the middle of the square formation. Then she quickly moved up between Timor and Corporal Straven.

"After all, much lower standards are accepted for male troopers, and especially clones. Most male troopers are either incompetent psychopaths." Ograna said looking towards Timor. Then quickly she moved to her left to speak directly at Corporal Straven "Or they are weak-willed soulless clones with no personality or imagination."

I moved forward briskly and grabbed Organa by the shoulder, pulling her back.

"Silence!" I said. Then I shoved her forward behind Corporal Straven and Timor who had continued walking. Organa looked back at me with hatred in her eyes. Then she looked round at Yalasa and smiled at her amiably.

"You know what I mean, sister. Male troopers only serve for the violence and brutality. Female troopers serve out of devotion and loyalty to their people and family. Even if that loyalty is sadly misplaced in your case."

"Keep silent and keep moving!" Barked Yalasa, shoving Organa forward again.

We reached the door of a turbolift that would take us to our destination in another part of the Death Star. It was a turbolift that was reserved for dignitaries, senior officers or high priority prisoners. We stood outside the blast doors waiting for the turbolift to arrive.

"So we have a woman, a psychopath and the son of a rebel in this unit. You know what the rest of the stormtrooper corps call units like yours?" Organa looked at each of us in turn before answering her rhetorical question. "They call you scum battalions. Because they apparently hold the least desirable troopers in the corps."

"Silence!" Ordered Corporal Straven. Of course it was in vain.

"However, I do find it ironic, considering they include some of the best troopers in the Empire." Organa motioned to Yalasa and me in turn. "Like our girlfriend here and our rebel friend there. It is no coincidence that they are given the most difficult missions. Ironically, the 'scum' battalions are often the most effective and the most reliable units in the Empire."

"The prisoner will remain silent!" Said Corporal Straven again.

This time Organa turned her full attention to Corporal Straven. As usual she ignored his order.

"It must have been a great dishonour to be transferred to a 'scum' battalion." Organa smiled at Corporal Straven maliciously. "A clone trooper like yourself. One of the Emperor's elite." This time I could hear the obvious sarcasm and contempt in Organa's voice.

Suddenly, it dawned on me what Organa was trying to so. She was using an age old tactic that the corrupt Republican leadership and their Jedi lackeys had always used. Divide and rule.

In reality, all the rebel leaders really want to do is recover the the power they lost when the Emperor ended the corruption and decadence of the Old Republic. The rebels wanted to take us back to the dark days where the weakness is rewarded and strength is reviled. When a small group of unscrupulous privileged few and their Jedi henchmen clung onto power at the expense of prosperity and progress. They do not want to free the galaxy. They simply want the Emperor's power for themselves.

The Empire can be harsh with its enemies. But we must be, because our enemies are fanatical, insidious and implacable The Empire has brought peace and stability to the galaxy, while the traitors had only sown the seeds of death, destruction and suffering by inciting rebellion and criminality. The Empire does not make promises of democracy and liberty which are impossible to keep. The Empire only promises to bring order and security for those who demonstrate devotion and obedience to our beloved and wise Emperor. And that is a promise the Empire can and does keep. We as imperial stormtroopers are a physical manifestation of that promise.

The Emperor has always warned us of the true nature of the rebel leaders. Just like the Jedi before them, they feed the population with lies of liberty and peace. They exploit the hopes and goodwill of the people, with promises of equality and happiness for all. They placate the masses with promises of democracy, equality and wealth that are impossible to fulfil. But all they really do is create division within the lower ranks of society so that the rebel elite and their Jedi lackeys can wield absolute power with impunity.

And that is precisely what Organa was trying to do with us. She was trying to cause division among us with her insidious lies and insults, just as the Jedi and rebel leaders divided the masses by favouring some and neglecting others. I did not believe Organa would succeed in her nefarious plan to corrupt us. After all, we were loyal soldiers of the Empire. The Emperor's elite. We were conditioned to resist.

But I soon realised that I had underestimated Organa's corrupting influence. I was soon to realise that I was wrong.

"The prisoner will remain silent!" Barked Corporal Straven in response to Organa's latest outburst. Imperceptibly, I could hear his synthesised voice quiver. I also noticed that Corporal Straven was starting to fidget with his E-11 blaster rifle.

Stormtroopers never fidget and their voices never quiver. I feared that something was about to go wrong. I was soon proved to be right.

We finally entered the turbolift and stood in a square formation, facing inward, with Organa in the middle. Organa was about to unleash the full force of her poisonous venom, insidious lies and malice onto one trooper. The one trooper who had not met her before. The one trooper who could not resist her malicious influence. The weakest trooper of us all. The clone trooper.

Smiling slyly, Organa stared intently at corporal Straven. I stood alert and waited, determined to ensure that we would not fail order 4669A.

* * *

_PSYCHOLOGICAL REPORT_

_REVIEW OF JOURNAL - TROOPER LC-9087_

_The statements made by Leia Organa provide further evidence that she has detailed and accurate knowledge of Stormtrooper protocol, organisation and training. We can only assume that she obtained such training illegally on Alderaan. This is further evidence that Alderaan is plotting against the Empire._

_We note with surprise that Corporal Straven was given command of the mission to escort Leia Organa to her new detention block. We recommended to sergeant Klaus that no clone trooper should be assigned to any mission involving Leia Organa given what happened to the last squad which consisted of clone troopers._

_**HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL**_

_We still do not know how Leia Organa is able to influence the psychological state and accurately determine the identity of her stormtrooper guards. Indications continue to suggest that she may have Jedi like powers. However, such information should be withheld from certain sections of high command in case it is regarded as treasonous to suggest that people with Jedi powers could still exist._


	25. Ricochet

CHAPTER 25 - RICOCHET

The five of us stood in the turbolift as it made its way through the interior of the Death Star. We were in a square formation with Organa standing in the centre, her hands bound in front of her, But by the way she was looking at Corporal Straven, she did not look like the helpless prisoner that she was supposed to be. She reminded me more of a predator ready to pounce on and devour its prey.

I could see Corporal Straven was still fidgeting. To the untrained eye, corporal Straven would give the impression that he was standing motionless like any other stormtrooper on guard. But I could clearly recognise the subtle erratic movements which indicated that Corporal Straven may not be completely in control of his emotions.

I stood on high alert. Yalasa and Timor stood impassively. However, I was also sure that Yalasa was also on high alert. She would be monitoring the situation intently, watching for any sign or movement that may threaten the successful completion of our 4669A prisoner escort mission.

"How long have you been a stormtrooper, Corporal?" Organa stared intently at Corporal Straven. "Ten years? Fifteen years?"

"Silence!" Said Corporal Straven again. But again Organa ignored him. There was nothing we could do to silence her. In fact, order 4669 inferred that we should let the prisoner speak freely while giving the impression that we wanted to keep her silent. The fact that Organa had again guessed our orders significantly complicated matters for us. She knew that we would not stop her speaking because we were not permitted to.

Our commanders probably hoped that Organa would say something that may betray her fellow rebel traitors and conspirators. But in allowing her to speak freely in front of a trooper who proved to be unstable, they could well be inadvertently risking her life, and thus, the successful completion of our mission.

"After all this time of loyal and dedicated service, you are still only a corporal." Continued Organa unperturbed. "You must feel really bitter about all these human recruits coming in to take your place. Occupying roles in the stormtrooper corps that belong to you. Usurping your position as the Emperor's elite. Getting promotions and taking command..."

"That is enough..!" Corporal Straven barked. It was clear to me that Corporal Straven's voice and movements were becoming more agitated. However, although I was concerned that he may be losing control, there was nothing I could do to silence Organa. Corporal Straven was still my commanding NCO. I could not intervene in his exchange with Organa unless he requested me to.

"...leading clone troopers into battle. And now they even let women in. Taking your glory. Stealing your honour." Organa sneered at Corporal Straven as she spoke, pouring as much malice and contempt into her words as she could. "Defying your very reason to exist. Because if a weak women can take you place, why would the Emperor need clones at all."

"The prisoner will be silent!" Corporal Straven pointed at Leia with one hand as he spoke. "Or you will suffer the consequences."

I stood moitionlessly in the guard position, while Yalasa and Timor did the same. We may have looked impassive. but each one of us was ready to intervene at a moments notice. It was clear to me that Corporal Straven was not acting with the discipline and compsure normally expected of an imperial stormtrooper. I knew that Timor and Yalasa would have noticed as well.

We were specially trained to recognise when a stormtrooper was acting strangely. This had two main purposes.

The first purpose was to spot imposters wearing stormtrooper armour. If a non-stormtrooper were to wear our armour, we would realise that the person was an imposter very quickly. We would not be able to identify an imposter from a cursory inspection or when passing in a corridor. But if we spent a few seconds in the presence of an imposter wearing stormtrooper armour, we would realise from his movements, tone of voice and the words used that the person was not a real stormtrooper. Of course, an imposter could easily fool other members of the imperial military such as the imperial army and navy troopers.

The second, and ultimately more important reason, was to recognise unusual behaviour in fellow troopers and commanders which could threaten the successful completion of a mission. In the case of Corporal Straven, I could tell from the subtle movements he made and the slightly agitated tone in his voice that he was losing his self-control. So I kept him under careful observation to ensure that he did not make any sudden movements that could endanger the prisoner.

At that moment, there was nothing I could do except observe the situation and stay alert. Corporal Straven was still in charge of the mission and, so far, had not done anything that contradicted our orders. So until something happened that threatened the mission objective, I was still under Corporal Straven's command and was obliged to follow his orders.

If Organa had shut up there and then, I was sure we could have completed the mission without incident. But of course she didn't. In fact, not only did she continue talking, but she also took a step forward towards Corporal Straven as she spoke.

"You know why the Emperor replaced you with human troopers?" Organa continued with her campaign of provocation. "It is because humans are better soldiers".

"Silence!" Barked Corporal Straven pushing her back with one hand. I could hear the agitation clearly in his voice.

I wondered Organa realised what danger she was in. Indeed, the danger we were all in. I did not know how Corporal Straven would react to Organa's repeated provocations. On one hand, he may continue to retain enough control of himself to complete the mission. On the other hand, he could just snap and try to kill the prisoner. Both were possible.

Given how much Organa seemed to know about stormtrooper protocol and organisation, I was sure that Organa knew that Corporal Straven was acting outside the parameters of standard stormtrooper behaviour. She also must have surely known that provoking Corporal Straven could be dangerous. She must have been aware that she could be risking her life by confronting him so aggressively.

But then I remembered that Organa was a prisoner doomed to certain torture and execution. She had nothing to lose. It occurred to me that Organa was perhaps somehow planning to get hold of Corporal Straven's blaster rifle. Perhaps she hoped to grab it if he pointed it at her. That alarmed me. I had seen before how deadly Leia Organa could be with a sporting pistol. I could easily imagine how devastating she would be if she got hold of an E-11. I was determined to prevent her from getting hold of an E-11 if things went out of control. That would probably involve stunning her.

"Clones are inherently weaker than human troopers." Organa sneered at Corporal Straven, continuing her diatribe of insidious lies. "They lack initiative. They lack imagination. And they are not truly devoted, because they have never truly lived. No wonder so many of you are psychologically unstable..."

"You shall remain silent!" To untrained ear, Corporal Straven's voice would have sounded no different from any other stormtrooper. But I could hear the barely restrained rage in the tone of his voice. I knew that something was going to happen. Still standing silently, I readied myself for action. I could see from subtle shifts in postition and posture, that Yalasa and Timor were getting ready to intervene. We did not have to wait long

"...because you are inherently inferior." Organa glared at Corporal Straven with a vicious triunfal grin on her face. "And that is why the Emperor is doomed to fail. Because feeble-minded weaklings like you are destined to fail him..."

It was then that Corporal Straven snapped. When it happened, Straven did not make a sudden movement to kill the prisoner. He did not even raise his rifle. In fact, at that moment, he did not even set his blaster to kill. He simply said one short phrase. A few short words that would suddenly and irrevocably end his career as an imperial stormtrooper. And ultimately end his life."

"Trooper one, execute the prisoner!" Ordered Corporal Straven

In our squad, all regular troopers are given a number based on their seniority. Yalasa was trooper one, I was trooper two and Timor was trooper three. This was partly for identification and partly to indicate the who was next in command if the troopers found themselves without their officers and NCOs. As trooper one, Yalasa would be in command if something happened to Corporal Straven.

Seniority among regular troopers is based on commendations. Each time we successfully fulfill a mission or perform an act that demonstrates our devotion to the Emperor, we receive commendations. These commendations are counted up to determine our seniority as reguar troopers. Since Yalasa had more commendations than Timor or me, she had been appointed as the most senior trooper after Corporal Straven.

For a moment, everyone stood in silence. Even Organa looked surprised. Probably for the first time since I came across Organa on the Tantive, I saw a her eyes go wide in fear. She obviously had not expected Straven to go that far. She had misjudged him. For a moment, she looked around at us nerviously.

Then Yalasa issued an order through her comm to Timor and me. The three of us immediately entered into action.

Timor moved forward swiftly towards the prisoner. Yalasa raised her E-11 and fired at Organa. Hit by a stun blast, Organa collapsed towards the floor.

Before Organa hit the floor, Timor caught her in his arms. This was to ensure Organa did not injure herself in the fall. Timor dragged her unconscious body to the corner of the turbo lift furtherest away from Straven. Timor lay Organa on the floor in the foetal position. Then he stood in front of Organa in a defensive posture and pointed his blaster towards Straven.

In the meantime, Yalasa had quickly placed herself in front of Straven so that he could not try to shoot the prisoner while Timor dragged her to relative safety. Yalasa now had her blaster pointed at Straven and walked backwards towards the corner where Timor was guarding the unconscious Organa.

While Yalasa and Timor secured Organa, I moved swiftly over to the lift control panel and slammed my gloved hand on the emergency stop icon. I pressed the emergency alarm that all diplomatic lifts were equipped with. Then I too set my blaster to kill and retreated back to where Yalasa and Timor were.

It had all lasted only a few seconds. Now Yalasa, Timor and I were standing in front of the unconscious Organa who was lying in a corner of the turbolift. The three of us had our blasters set to kill and trained on Straven.

"What are you doing?" I could hear the rage in Straven's voice. "I gave a direct order to execute the prisoner."

"You have given an illegal command that contradicts our orders." Replied Yalasa calmly through her helmet. "In accordance with regulations, I am relieving you of command and taking emergency action to safeguard the prisoner as specified by critical priority order 4669A."

"I am your commanding NCO." Straven took a step towards us and raised his blaster. "You will obey my orders in all circumstances."

Under normal circumstances, what Straven said would be true. In nearly all situations we were required to obey our commanding NCO or officer, even if it contradicted our orders. However, there were a small number of orders which could not be countermanded. Order 4669A was one of these orders. Thus, by ordering us to execute the prisoner, Straven had issued an illegal order and had effectively lost his status as our commanding NCO. To us, he was no longer corporal Straven. He was a rogue trooper and a potential enemy.

"You have given an illegal order." Said Yalasa firmly. "You will put down your weapon and surrender yourself, trooper Straven."

If Straven had surrendered himself then, he may have lived. He may even have been able to continue his career serving as an imperial stormtrooper after a program of psychological review and reconditioning. But instead, Straven did the one thing that would cost him his life. An action which could have caused us to fail the mission.

Straven set his blaster to kill. That signed his death sentence. Under order 4669A, if a trooper threatened either the prisoner or his fellow troopers with his blaster set to kill, he would be subject to immediate summary execution.

"Traitors!" Straven screamed as he waved his blaster at us. It was the last word he would ever say.

Yalasa immediatley fired one blaster round striking Straven the stomach. It was a good shot. With Straven having raised his blaster to his shoulder to take aim, it would have been difficult to hit him in the chest. Straven staggered back from the impact, causing his arms to flay out to the sides. Having a good view of his upper body, I also fired one blaster bolt and hit Straven on the left side of the chest.

Normally, we would have gunned down Straven down with automatic fire. But in a turbolift, any shots that missed would likely deflect of the walls several times until they hit one of us or expended its energy. There was a good chance that our armour would protect us from such deflected rounds, Indeed, our stormtrooper armour was especially good at absorbing deflected shots. However, Organa did not have armour and was vulnerable to being killed or badly injured from a deflected shot.

So for that reason, our standard protocol in this situation was for each of us to fire single well-aimed shots, aiming for the most vulnerable areas of the target that were easiest to hit. As trooper one, Yalasa fired first aiming for the stomach. I fired second aiming for the chest. Timor would have fired third. But he didn't have a chance to.

Struck directly through the heart by the blaster bolt, Straven fell back to the floor. But just as he fell, his finger pressed the trigger of his blaster firing four rounds into the enclosed space of the turbolift. Yalasa, Timor and I immediately crouched down in the corner over Organa's unconcsious body, still facing Straven in case he was able to recover and attack us. The idea was to protect Organa with our armoured bodies from the deflected blaster rounds. There was a small chance that a deflected blaster bolt could slip through a gap and hit Organa. But it was more likely that it would hit one of us. And that is exactly what happened.

For a short moment, the four blaster rounds flew at high speed around the turbo-lift, bouncing several times off the metal walls within only a few short seconds. One bolt hit Yalasa in the side. It penetrated her armour, but did not injure her significantly.

Timor was not so fortunate. The second bolt struck him in the helmet and caused him to collapse to the floor. He was clearly injured badly. Although our armour can usually absorb the energy of most deflected blaster rounds, we can still be badly injured or killed by a weakened shot if it strikes us in a vital organ.

The final two rounds eventually lost power and dissipated without causing damage.

After there was silence for a few seconds, Yalasa and I stood up in a status of high alert. We had no time to check on Timor. We had to secure the area and call for back-up.

I went over to Straven and checked his body. As I expected, he was dead. My blaster round had killed him instantly. I reported Straven's death to Yalasa.

Yalasa checked on Organa. She was still alive and unharmed. Then she reported the incident to stormtrooper command by comm. In the meantime, I checked Timor's vital signs through certain sections of his helmet and armour. He was unconscious, but he was breathing and his heart was beating. I decided not to remove his helmet. I would leave that to the medical unit. I did not know if removing his helmet could make his situation worse or even kill him. So I just moved his body into a recovery position for pick-up by the droids and reported his status to Yalasa.

I took possession of Straven's and Timor's E-11 just to ensure Organa didn't suddenly wake up and get hold of one of them. We already had two casualties because of Organa. I certainly wasn't going to give her a chance to cause more today.

Yalasa and I waited in the turbolift for a security squad to relieve us and take possession of Organa's body. We stood in silence in the guard position. Moments later, a stormtrooper commander contacted us through the communication monitor in the tubolift. Yalasa spoke to him and gave him a updated status report. He informed us that a squad was on the way.

Moments later, the turbolift door opened and a squad of ten stormtroopers entered with blasters at the ready. Yalasa and I stood in front of Organa's body and readied our blaster in response. We were still under order 4669A and still required to protect the prisoner.

A captain in stormtrooper armour approached us and provided us with the relevant security codes relieving us of the order. We all lowered our weapons. Two navy troopers entered with a hover-gurney and took Organa away, escorted by another squad of troopers. We left the prone bodies of Timor and Straven guarded by the captain and his troopers. Straven's corpse would be taken to the recovery area as per standard procedure. Timor would be taken to a medical centre dealing with critical injuries.

After exiting the turbolift, we contacted sergeant Klaus by comm. He demanded an immediate report. Yalasa provided a brief status report, confirming what happened in the lift. Sergeant Klaus asked me if I concurred with the report. I confirmed the accuracy of the report provided by Yalasa. He then ordered us to report to to the stormtrooper quarters.

Since we had killed a trooper on a high priority mission, the two of us were suspended from duty until an investigation could be carried out. We would be suspended from active service, but would be permitted to participate in light training. The suspension was neither intended to punish us, nor to keep us detained. We had not failed a mission or disobeyed orders. The object of the suspension was to keep us in the stormtrooper area so that we could be called quickly by the investgators for questionning. We were also prohibited from speaking of the incident until the investigation was over.

Yalasa and I made our way to the our stormtrooper armoury and took off our armour, before reporting to the medical area. Since we had been involved in combat, we were required to be checked over. I had no injuries and so was quickly cleared to leave. The droids treated the minor injury that Yalasa received in her side from the deflected round.

Unlike the investigation involving the death of Captain Terrik on Tatooine, there would be no parade of shame through through the corridors of the stormtrooper quarters. The circumstances were different. This time we had not failed a critical mission. Thus we had not suffered a loss of honour. In fact, we had ensure the success of the mission by killing our NCO.

Yalasa and I went to the mess where we ate in silence. We had nothing to say. I looked at Yalasa's face, still marked by the cuts and bruises of her administrative punishments. She did not look at me. She just looked down at her tray eating. Her face betrayed no emotion, but I knew that inside she was boiling with rage. Because I also felt the same rage. Rage against Organa for her betrayal of the Emperor. Rage that she was still allowed to live despite her crimes. Rage that she had caused the critical injury to Timor and the death of Straven.

In truth, I did not miss Straven. He was a typical arrogant clone. He had made no attempt to associate himself with us since he was assigned to our squad. He had kept himself apart from us and shown his disdain. He had almost caused the death of Yalasa during her administrative punishment. He had failed in his duty to the Emperor and almost caused us to fail a high priority mission. I was angry that Organa had caused the death of a loyal soldier of the Empire. But I did not regret that Straven had died. He had failed the Empire and deserved death.

On the other hand, I found myself missing Timor. He had been injured doing his duty to the Emperor. I did not know if he was dead or alive. I may never find out. The stormtrooper corps did not keep us informed of wounded fellow troopers or permit us to visit them. As far as the stormtrooper corps concerned, the only people who mattered to us were the Emperor, our commanding officers, the troopers we served with at that moment and the enemy. Everything one else was irrelevant and an unnecessary distraction to carrying out our duties.

It was possible I would never see Timor again. If he died, they would never tell us. If he lived, he could be transferred to another unit or location. On the other hand, if his injury turned out not to be serious, he could return in a couple of days. We just did not know what would happen.

We went to our sleeping quarters and quickly fell asleep in our bunks. Again, they had administered sleeping drugs in our food. That was standard practice during periods of investigation. The next day, we went to the training area in our jump suits and did some light stretching and aerobic exercises. Such exercices are common practice. However, it was the first time that I had been able to do such activity since the Tantive mission.

A few hours into the day, sergeant Klaus turned up and ordered us to follow him to an empty detention room. The three of us stood to attention and waited to be called for questionning about the incident. We would be called in reverse order of rank. I would go first, then Yalasa and finally sergeant Klaus. Since sergeant Klaus was our squad captain, he would also be questionned about the incident, even though he was not present at the time.

Less than half an hour after entering the detention cell, a sergeant-major in the standard black stormtrooper uniform entered and ordered me to accompany him. He led me to an office where our platoon lieutenant, our company captain and another imperial officer were sitting behind a long table. The lieutenant and the captain wore the standard black dress uniforms of the stormtrooper corps. The other officer wore the uniform of a General. I stood to attention in front of them.

The General introduced himself as Moradim Bast. He told me that they would question me about the incident that occurred during our 4669A escort mission. I wondered why such a high ranking officer was involved in investigating the death of a junior NCO. However, it immediately occurred to me that the incident had involve Organa. She was obviously important to the Empire at this moment. And so it was perhaps no surprise that high command had taken an interest.

The questioning was routine and non-confontational The officers asked me what occurred in the turbolift. I confirmed that Straven had given an illegal order. I confirmed that Yalasa had relieved him off command as required by regulations. I confirmed that Yalasa stunned Organa. And I confirmed that both Yalasa and I shot Straven when he set his blaster to kill after ignoring an order to surrender. I described how Timor and Yalasa were wounded by the deflected blaster round as we shielded Organa with our bodies. Finally, I described how we secured the area after Straven was dead.

Afterwards, they asked for some detail on what happened before and after the incident. I described to them how Organa had tried to provoke us with her siditious and insidious lies right from the beginning of the mission. And I described how Straven's behavious became quickly erratic after we entered the turbo lift.

After less than an hour, General Bast told me that my part in the investigation was over and all restrictions on discussing the incident were removed. He told me to return to my sleeping quarters.

When I got back to the sleeping quarters, I passed Timor's empty bunk. I imagined what he would have said if he had been there. He would have sarcastically complimented me on shooting Straven straight through the heart. He would have probably scornfully commented on Organa's assertion that women were the true elite of the imperial stormtrooper corps. He would have boasted about his own heroic actions in shielding Organa from the dozens of blaster rounds that, in Timor's version of the story, would have rained down on her. And he would have infuriated me by taunting me about my supposed rebel heritage which Organa had conferred on me with her malicious lies.

However, even though I know Timor would have enfuriated and embarrassed me, I found myself wishing that Timor was there. We are not supposed to be sentimental about fellow troopers who fall doing their duty. We should feel pride for them. But despite my apparent disdain for Timor, I missed his presence. It occurred to me that I disliked Timor less than I realised. And that I perhaps appreciated his humour more that I previously admitted.

I went to my bunk and started to write up my journal. An hour or so later, Yalasa entered the sleeping quarters after returning from her questionning. She passed my bunk on the way to hers. She stopped and looked at me. I looked back at her. For a few seconds, we just looked into each others eyes. I could see the contained rage behind her eyes. Not rage at me. But at that rebel traitor bitch Organa for whom we been forced to kill a loyal soldier of the Empire. In defence of whom we had lost a fellow squad mate to serious injury.

As we looked upon each other, I thought about telling Yalasa she had done well during the incident. But I stayed silent. I knew she would not appreciate being praised for killing a fellow soldier and successfully defending a traitor. So I said nothing.

But then something unexpected happened. Yalasa smiled at me. A slight melancholic smile appeared on Yalasa's scarred and bruised face. It was possibly the first time Yalasa had ever truly smiled at me. I returned the smile. For a moment we were lost in each other's smile. We were two imperial stormtroopers recognising the qualities in each other. Two fellow troopers who had experienced so much together. Two noble warriors fighting for a worthy cause. Two loyal servants of the Galactic Empire.

Then Yalasa turned away and headed towards her bunk. I watched her go. For a moment, my heart was filled with joy. Then I looked again at Timor's empty bunk. And I remembered that there were two less of us today. And all because of that rebel bitch Organa. It only reminded me what that manipulating traitor had taken away from us. And how dangerous she was for all decent people who were obedient to the Emperor.

A message appeared on my datapad. It informed me that the investigation was over and I was back on active service. Clearly, officers had judged that we had correctly done our duty. It only proved once again that the Empire is fair with those who serve the Emperor well.

Still in a somber mood, I decided to read one of my favourite books on my datapad. It was a collection of speeches made by great men of the Empire. It would lighten my heart and remind me that the talents and wisdom of the Empire's greatest men would easily counter the insidious influence of Organa and her band of rebel murderers. It mainly included speeches from the Emperor, but there were also words of wisdom from other great imperial leaders such as Grand Moff Tarkin, Grand Admiral Batch, General Tagge and Admiral Motti.

When reading a speech from Admiral Motti, I could not help thinking of his sister, Jentessa Motti. I could only imagine what a glorious experience it must be for Miss Motti to be constantly in the presence of such great and noble men. And I reflected how honoured and privileged Miss Motti must feel to be associated the Empire's greatest leaders. Miss Motti truly is a fortunate young lady.

I read some of the early speeches of the Emperor when he announced the beginning of imperial rule, bringing lasting peace, order and prosperity to the peoples of the galaxy once and for all. I read his words of wisdom in which he warned us against the insidious and duplicitous goals of those who refused to accept the Emperor's benign and wise rule.

Having experienced first hand how Organa had managed to manipulate us into killing a loyal soldier of the Empire, I now fully realised how true the Emperor's words were. It made me feel deeply privileged and honoured that I was permitted to directly participate in the fight against the Emperor's enemies. Against the enemies of peace, order and reason. And it reminded me that our dedication and sacrifice in the name of the Emperor was honourable, necessary and just. It was truly a glorious and noble cause.

Then I turned my attention to one of the Emperor's early speeches in which he put forth his vision and plans for a perfect and just society. Now that the Empire had the Death Star, I knew that it would only be a matter of time before the Emperor would finally make his vision a reality. Soon the Galaxy would be a paradise where the stength, loyalty and obedience were rewarded and honoured. A galaxy where every being knew their place.

When the lights-out alarm sounded, I felt myself re-energised by the words of the Emperor. With renewed optimism in my heart, I went to sleep determined more than ever to serve the Emperor with all my being.

* * *

_PSYCHOLOGICAL REPORT_

_REVIEW OF JOURNAL - TROOPER LC-9087_

_On reviewing the evidence from witness statements and turbolift security cameras, the investigation confirms that trooper ZL-1102 (Corporal Straven) did issue an illegal order and threatened the lives of his fellow troopers in breach of high priority order 4669A. The investigation concludes that troopers LC-9087 (the subject) and trooper RC-5342 (aka Yalasa) were correct to open fire on ZL-1102. Likewise, trooper RC-5342 was correct in stunning the prisoner in reaction to an emergency situation. No action should be taken against either LC-9087 or RC-5342. The investigation is now concluded._

_It is not clear why General Bast has taken such personal interest in this incident. He has requested that RC-5342 be promoted to corporal again. There is resistance to the promotion from some sections of High Command and the stormtrooper corps._

_After studying the evidence available, we have come to the conclusion the clone-troopers seem to be very vulnerable to the negative psychological influence exerted by Leia Organa, to the extent that it can break their conditioning and have a negative affect on their sanity. We thus recommend, that only non-clone troopers should be assigned to guard or escort Leia Organa. Even then, preference should be given to troopers who have demonstrated resistance to Organa's influence. In all cases, any troopers to be assigned to Leia Organa should be subject to a psychological review to ensure that they have sufficient mental stability and strength for the assignment._

_With trooper NR-8306 (aka Timor) injured, we recommend only troppers LC-9087 and RC-5342 should be assigned to escort duty with Organa until the other members of the squad can be subjected to a psychological review to judge their suitability. In order to compensate for the lower number of guards, we recommend adjusting the orders to give them more flexibility to deal with Leia Organa's destructive influence._

* * *

**Author's note: I would like to thank author Ladyofdarkstar for permitting me to mention her OC Jentassa Motti from her Family Ties stories. I fully recommend these stories as they are entertaining, dark and give an insightful vision of the political manoeuvring that goes on at the heart of the Empire.**


	26. Penance and Despayre

CHAPTER 26 - PENANCE AND DESPAYRE

The next day, I expected that we would be assigned to routine guard and patrol duties in our area of operation. But I was wrong, The whole squad was given new orders.

Mandala, Harmony, Bloor and Davos were ordered to report to the medical area where they would be subject to a psychological review. The examination would last two days. Psychological officers would question them and carry out tests to assess their psychological and mental condition. I had no idea why the psychological review had been called so suddenly. Nor did I know why Yalasa, Sergeant Klaus and I had been excluded.

Sergeant Klaus and Yalasa were assigned to VIP escort duty for the next two days. They would guard and protect a civilian who had been assigned stormtrooper protection. The person in question must have been important. High command do not assign stormtroopers as guards to just anyone; especially civilians.

With the others assigned to other duties or indisposed, I should have been temporarily reassigned to another squad in our platoon until the others returned. Normally, I should have carried out routine guard and patrol duty with one of the other three squads. However, sergeant Klaus had other ideas. He put me on a penance order.

Sergeant Klaus informed me that I would serve an act of penance for executing Straven during the Organa escort duty. He was not obliged to do so. Many NCOs and officers never employ penance orders. Out of my previous commanding NCO's and officers, neither Noremac nor Denlin ever imposed a penance order on any troopers under their command.

Penance orders are an unofficial form of punishment. In reality, a penance order is not a punishment at all, as the trooper has not breached any regulations. It is more an unofficial reminder that the killing of a loyal soldier of the Emperor should never be taken lightly, even if that killing was necessary to achieve a mission objective.

Usually, a penance detail consists of standing guard and patrolling alone in the most isolated and least frequented part of the ship or installation. It is similar to the minor punishment detail that stormtroopers receive for infringing minor regulations. Often we don't guard anything specific. We just stand in an empty corridor or stand by a door with no security importance. Although it doesn't really cause us hardship or discomfort, we do not consider such duty as an agreeable activity. All stormtroopers would rather serve the Emperor in the most meaningful way possible by combatting the enemies of the Empire or guarding important people or locations. The duty carried out during a penance or minor punishment detail is regarded as unworthy of stormtroopers. It is the sort of duty that inferior military personnel like navy troopers and imperial army are best suited for.

Many civilians and personnel from other arms of the imperial military often ask each other why a lone stormtrooper is standing guard in an empty corridor or beside a door that appears to have no security importance. Most of the time, the stormtrooper is carrying out a punishment detail or a penance order.

There is an official justification for issuing minor punishment details and penance orders. In sending stormtroopers to obscure locations, it gives the impression that stormtroopers are constantly present in every area of the ship or installation. That only reinforces the opinion that the power of the Empire is everywhere, ensuring obedience to the will of the Emperor.

As a loyal soldier of the Emperor who is obedient to his commanding NCO, I did not flinch in carrying out the duty assigned to me. I equipped myself in the armoury and went to the location assigned for my guard and patrol duty. I found myself in an area of dimly lit narrow corridors in the vicinity of the superlaser. The corridors were all uniform and there were no doorways nearby. From what I could see there was nothing worth guarding. Very typical of a penance order.

I was allocated four specific locations where I should stand guard in the area assigned to me. I would stand guard for four hours in each location and then I would move onto the next one. I was under routine guard and patrol order 1100F. My responsibility was to stand at my guard location, react to any orders issued by stormtrooper command, report any security related incidents that may occur and react to any acts of aggression against myself, imperial property or other imperial personnel.

Nothing happened during the first half of the day. Every so often, some tech crew and officers passed my location. Most times they did not even seem to realise I was there. Often they talked about their work. But I did not hear anything of interest, either because they passed by too quickly or the conversation was too technical for me to understand. Otherwise, the place was very noisy. A few times I could hear heavy vibrations and rumbling through the bulkheads. At the time, I did not know what these were. But I found out what they were later that day

Towards the end of the day, I overheard two officer speaking about the superlaser as they slowly passed by my position. From the conversation, I learned that the Death Star had destroyed the prison planet of Despayre. It had taken three shots from the superlaser to destroy the planet. I realised that the deployment of the superlaser had caused the rumblings and vibrations which I heard earlier that day.

Apart from that conversation, I heard nothing of interest and nothing of significance happened. When my guard shift finished, I returned to the armoury to drop off my equipment.

When I returned to my quarters after my first day of penance duty, Yalasa was sleeping in her bunk and the others were absent, still undergoing their psychological review. So I went to the mess and ate with a couple of troopers from another squad in my platoon. They confirmed to me that the prison planet Despayre had indeed been destroyed by the Death Star's superlaser.

After eating my rations, I returned to my bunk and read up on the planet of Despayre on my data pad. I learned nothing new. I already knew it was a prison planet populated by traitors, rebels, aliens, criminals and ferocious beasts.

I then switched on a commercial movie on my data pad called 'Escape from Despayre' which is approved by imperial authorities. It was originally made as a holo-vid, but was adapted for flat screened datapads such as the one stormtroopers use in their quarters.

The movie tells the story of two young recruits in the imperial military who crash land on Despayre after their ship is sabotaged by rebel traitors. On Despayre, the two young men have to fight a desperate battle for survival against the rebels, traitors, criminals and the ferocious creatures on the planet. In staying true to the doctrines and teachings of the Emperor, the two young men manage to escape the planet, rescuing two gentle imperial ladies from the clutches of their barbaric alien captors. The two young men receive commissions in their respective military arms for their courageous actions, before marrying the two young ladies in a grand official joint wedding. During the movie, numerous traitors, rebels, aliens, incompetent comrades and criminals suffer painful horrific deaths at the hands of the two heros, the vicious beasts and each other.

The movie is compulsory viewing for children of school age in the Empire. It teaches us that if we follow the teachings of the Emperor, then we shall be rewarded. While those who turn away from the wisdom of the Emperor are destined to suffer pain and death.

The planet Despayre is a strong symbol in the imperial subconscious. When parents wish to discipline their children for disobendience, they often threaten to send them to Despayre. I often remember how I used to cry at night when my mother threatened to send me to Despayre when I failed to obey her instructions in my infantile ignorance.

With the destruction of Despayre, I could see that the Emperor was sending the Galaxy a powerful message. He was telling us that with the destruction of Despayre, we had reached the dawn of a new age where order and strength would rule supreme. With the Emperor imposing his infallible will through the irresistible power of the Death Star, good imperial citizens in the galaxy would no longer have to fear the ravages of traitors, criminals, barbaric aliens and rebels. We were soon to enter a golden age of peace and enlightenment in which a prison planet like Despayre would no longer be necessary.

The next day, I went to the armoury alone and equipped myself for my second and final day of penance order duty. As expected, I was issued with standard guard and patrol order 1100F. I was also issued with a standard 8063C surveillance order.

A 8063C surveillance order is not commonly issued. The order requires us to report conversations we overhear that contain key words. I assume it is to identify possible plots against the Empire or leaks of confidential information. In this case, we were to report any conversation that contained both the words 'Alderaan' and 'Despayre'. I assumed it was related to the destruction of the planet Despayre from the previous day.

Normally, we are not required to report conversations to central command, even if the content could be regarded as treasonous. If we reported every comment that we regarded as disloyal or critical of the Empire, most of the personnel from the civil administration and inferior military arms of the Empire would be in a detention cell. The Empire does not employ us as spies or require us to judge what is treasonous or not. That is not our role.

Surveillance order 8063C was not just issued to me. I knew that it would also be issued to other stormtroopers carrying out guard or patrol duty in other specified areas of the Death Star. All over the station, stormtroopers would report any conversation they overheard containing these two key words to stormtrooper command. Stormtrooper command would then forward our reports to the relevant security authorities. ISB personnel would then access the relevant video and audio logs from cameras and listening devices in that area of the station.

We as stormtroopers were well aware that there were security cameras and listening devices in all areas of imperial installations. There are so many of them that it is impossible for ISB personnel to monitor them all, even with the aid of specialised droids and computers. So sometimes we are required to listen for them since we are deployed throughout the Death Star and Star Destroyers. We are such a common sight that imperial personnel often forget we are there and speak openly.

I returned to the same location as the day before and started my day of guard and patrol duty. The first half of the day was uneventful. Again, there were occasions when imperial officers or navy troopers wearing tech uniforms passed in front of or near my location. Some spoke about the destruction of Despayre. But since they did not mention Alderaan, I did not report the conversation.

However, near the end of my period of guard duty, I overheard a conversation with the two key words in it. I had something to report.

About three hours before my duty was to end, I moved to my fourth and final location. It was in an alcove in an dim narrow corridor. For the first twenty minutes, I heard and saw no one. Then I heard the footsteps of two people walking slowly in a corridor nearby. I could not see them, but I could hear them. Although they spoke in a whispered tone, I could make out what they were saying.

"I tell you, they are going to do it." Said the first man with a Corellian accent.

"Are you sure?" Replied a man who I assumed to be from Alderaan. His accent was very similar to that of Leia Organa.

Both men stopped abruptly in the corridor. They continued talking in their whispered tone.

"Yes, I was briefly present at a meeting of the High command." Whispered the Corellian. "Tarkin, Motti and Tagge were all there. I heard Tarkin say it."

"What exactly did he say?" Asked the Alderaaner.

"I can't remember the exact words. But he said that after Despayre, Alderaan would definitely be next."

"Are you completely sure?" Asked the Aderaaner. "You didn't mishear? Or misunderstand the context?

"I am completely sure. I have no doubt?"

"Damn it!" Sighed the Alderaaner.

"What shall we do?"

"We'll have to warn them."

"But how? Movement and communication off the station is restricted. And we'll never get a message out."

The Alderaaner sighed again. "We have to do something."

The two men walked off. I heard their footsteps and voices disappear into the distance.

In theory, the men had not said anything treasonous or overtly disloyal. They had not criticised the Empire or the Emperor. Nor had their conversation suggested they would carry out any disloyal act. However, since the conversation included the words Despayre and Alderaan, I had to report the conversation. So I immediately contacted stormtrooper command and informed them what I overheard and confirmed the location where the conversation took place.

Stormtrooper command acknowledged my report and told me to continue with my guard duty under original order 1100F. I knew that they would pass the information to the ISB who would take the appropriate action.

Nothing of significance happened for the rest of my shift. After my guard duty was over, I returned to the stormtrooper area of the station where I was based. After reporting to the armoury to hand in my armour and equipment, I immediately went to the mess.

I was pleased to see Yalasa was there. I picked up my tray and went over to her table. As I walked over, she smiled at me. She appeared to be in a good mood. And so was I.

* * *

_PSYCHOLOGICAL REVIEW_

_REVIEW OF JOURNAL - TROOPER LC-9087_

_The other troopers in the subject's squad are being assessed via psychological review to establish suitability for escort duty with Leia Organa. _

_Trooper LC-9087 (The subject) and trooper RC-5342 (aka Yalasa) have demonstrated resistance to Lei Organa's influence. Thus a psychological review will not be necessary at this time._

_Since clones have shown to be vulnerable to Leia Organa's destructive influence, t__rooper KM-0965 __(aka sergeant Klaus) _will not be assigned to any escort mission with Leia Organa. In consequence, it is not necessary for trooper KM-0965 to undergo a psychological review. 

* * *

_ISB - INTELLIGENCE REPORT_

_After investigation of the report provided by trooper LC-9087 under surveillance order 8063C, we have uncovered a conspiracy led by a Lieutenant Chandra of the imperial navy to inform the Alderaan government of the planet's imminent destruction._

_In accordance with tradition, the squad of trooper LC-9087 will have the honour of detaining the traitor and summarily executing his co-conspirators. __The squad's commanding officers will be informed of the upcoming operation with immediate effect._


	27. Irony and Exaggeration

CHAPTER 27 - IRONY AND EXAGGERATION

In the mess, I noticed that Yalasa was sitting alone at one of the tables. As usual, male troopers from the other units were shunning her. However, I was pleased to see her. I went over to her table with my tray and sat opposite her.

I was in good spirits. I was elated by the destruction of the planet Despayre. After hearing about the the absolute destructive power of the Death Star, I knew that there would be nothing to stop the Emperor imposing his infallible will on the galaxy once and for all. I knew it was a momentous and glorious time to be a loyal servant of the Galactic Empire. I had never felt so proud and fortunate to serve the Emperor as one of his imperial stormtroopers.

Apart from that, I was looking forward to the next few days. My penance duty was over and the others would soon return from their pschological review. At last, all the members of the squad would be together once again in service of the Emperor.

Yalasa looked up and nodded an acknowledgement to me. I nodded a silent greeting in return. Yalasa's face was still showing a few scars and bruises from her administrative punishment.

I sat down opposite her and started eating my rations.

"Well, Yalasa. Did you serve the Emperor well?" I asked her. I adopted the formal expression that stormtroopers use to enquire about each other's missions. It allows the trooper being asked to answer evasively if he cannot or does not wish to discuss his missions. In this case, Yalasa seemed happy to converse with me.

"Oh yes. We were assigned to escort your Miss Jentessa Motti."

For a moment I stopped eating. I looked at Yalasa.

"Miss Jentessa Motti?" My eyes widened in surpris. "Really?"

"Yes, really." Yalasa paused a moment before continuing. "We were operating under a Four-Zero-A order."

"Really?" I raised my eye-brows even higher. "You really escorted her under a Four-Zero-A order?"

Yalasa nodded affirmatively. I knew she was answering sincerely. She was not joking.

A Four-Zero-A, or a 0000A order, is the most strict protection order that can be given. Normally, Four-Zero-A orders are only reserved for the top military commanders such as a Grand Moff, a Grand Admiral, Lord Vader or the Emperor himself. So it was unusual that a civilian such as Miss Motti would be protected under a 0000A order. I remembered back to when Corporal Tanner told me in the mess that he had served guard duty for Miss Motti under a Four-Zero-A order. I hadn't really believed him, assuming it was just typical trooper exaggeration. But now I knew he was telling the truth. Someone with great influence in imperial high command had obviously decided that Miss Motti was of critical importance.

The 0000A order is more than just a protection order. The order also puts the stormtroopers under the direct command of the person who is being protected. The troopers are required to answer any questions directed to them and obey any orders given to them. In effect, the order allows the person they are protecting to order the execution of anyone around them on the basis that they are an imminent threat. Thus, to assign stormtroopers to Miss Motti under an 0000A order meant effectively giving her the power of life and death over those around her. So if Miss Motti told Yalasa and sergeant Klaus to execute someone on the basis that she believed the person was a threat, then they would be obliged, in most cases, to carry out the order.

There is one key exception. The order cannot be used to execute top imperial commanders such as Lord Vader or Grand Moff. So if Miss Motti tried to order the execution of Lord Vader or Grand Moff Tarkin via a 0000A order, the troopers would refuse.

"So any problems?" I asked casually while eating. I didn't expect there to be. I was just curious about the mission, and indeed, wanted to engage in conversation with my fellow trooper.

Yalasa pondered that question for a moment before answering. "Only that Miss Motti almost had me execute General Bast."

I stopped eating for a moment and looked up at Yalasa.

"Really?" I asked, incredulously. "You mean the General who questioned us after Straven's death?"

"The very same."

"Why did she do that?" I asked.

"She was upset over the destruction of the planet Despayre. She insisted on speaking to Grand Moff Tarkin and Admiral Motti about it. General Bast tried to prevent her."

"Why was Miss Motti upset about the destuction of Despayre?" I frowned in incomprehension as I spoke. "It was clearly the will of the Emperor. And the planet is only populated by traitors, aliens, rebels, criminals and vicious beasts."

Yalasa shrugged. She was clearly as perplexed as me.

"Yes. I know. I saw the whole thing from the observation lounge where we were carrying out our duty. It was truly a glorious day for the Empire." I could hear the pride ringing in Yalasa's voice as she spoke about the momentus event. "The Emperor has benefited the galaxy greatly by destroying the place."

Then Yalasa looked down at her tray and shook her head as she spoke further. "For some reason Miss Motti was not able to appreciate it. But then, you know how weak willed, emotional and sentimental some women can be."

"That is true." I nodded agreement and spoke with absolute sincerity. "Women invariably lack the intelligence and moral fibre to fully appreciate the wisdom of the Emperor's actions."

At that moment, I remembered that I was actually talking to a woman. I looked at Yalasa's face half-expecting her to be angry with me. Instead, she looked at me with a sly smile on her face. It seemed Yalasa was in a good mood too.

"So. I presume you did not have to execute General Bast, then?" I asked, deciding to swiftly change the subject.

"No. He gave in to her wishes in the end."

"That is a good thing." I spoke sincerely. General Bast had treated us fairly during the investigation of Straven's death and I had a high regard for him. "General Bast is clearly a competent and loyal servant of the Galactic Empire."

"Agreed." Affirmed Yalasa, equally sincerely. "I am glad I didn't have to kill him."

"And what happened next?" I was curious. "Did you escort Miss Motti to Grand Moff Tarkin as she demanded?"

"Yes. General Bast escorted us into the presence of Grand Moff Tarkin and Lord Vader." Yalasa smiled smugly as she remembered the event.

"You got to see both Lord Vader and Admiral Tarkin?" I asked, wide-eyed with envious admiration.

Yalasa looked back at me with a gloating expression on her face, smiling with unrestrained pride. "Briefly. Yes."

I looked down at my tray and muttered the words 'lucky bitch' under my breath.

"Yes, I was very fortunate yesterday." Agreed Yalasa smiling, as she continued to reminisce about her encounter with Lord Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin. No wonder she was in such a positive mood.

I looked down at my tray for a moment, trying to repress the feelings of envy that flooded over me. Yalasa stared into space in an ecstatic dream like trance. Her expression of pure delight was starting to irritate me. I decided to try and wipe that smug smile off Yalasa's face.

I looked up at Yalasa. "So, Yalasa. Apart from watching the Death Star destroy a planet, almost executing a general and visiting both Lord Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin. "I asked, putting a serious expression on my face. "How did the rest of the operation go? What was it like to escort someone who pushed you down a ray tube?"

I thought that would irritate her. Yalasa usually hated to be reminded that Miss Motti had shoved her down a ray tube on Alderaan three weeks previously.

However, I was mistaken. Yalasa shrugged, smiled sweetly and flashed her eye lashes at me.

"Oh, it would probably be the same as escorting someone who refused to marry you."

I just smirked. Yalasa wasn't present when Corporal Tanner brought his 'message' from Miss Motti saying she couldn't marry me. Obviously, someone had told Yalasa about it. I guessed it was Harmony. I could just see Yalasa and Harmony giggling together as they imagined Jentessa Motti joyfully telling her stormtrooper guards that she didn't want to marry me.

I raised my eyebrows expectantly. "And did Miss Motti mention me during the mission?"

Yalasa giggled. "No, loverboy. She did not ask for trooper LC-9087 while I was in her presence."

I shrugged, trying to look indifferent. However, I am ashamed to say that I did experience a sense of disappointment at that news.

Yalasa smiled at me again. "And so how did you serve the Emperor over the last couple of days?"

At first, I scowled at her question. While Yalasa had been witness to one of the most momentous events in galactic history and encountered Lord Vader, I was stuck in a bland corridor carrying out a penance order. However, I was of course still proud to carry out my duty in the name of the Emperor.

"Well, Yalasa." I replied Soberly. "I was very fortunate. Sergeant Klaus honoured me with penance duty."

"Ah, yes. Sergeant Klaus is a man of outstanding intelligence and judgement."Yalasa feigned an expression of thoughtfulness and nodded in an exaggerated way. "You must have, of course, deserved it. What reason did our noble sergeant give you?"

We both smiled. I forced myself not to laugh. Yalasa snorted as she attempted to smother a giggle. We could not criticise sergeant Klaus openly without being reprimanded for disobedience. So we resorted to the two things that allowed stormtroopers to express dissatisfaction with an NCO in a covert manner. We used irony and exaggeration.

"He didn't say why." I replied, eating my rations and pretending to look thoughtful. "But I think it has something to do with killing Corporal Straven. I think it was because I failed to shoot him in the head."

Yalasa couldn't help herself. She snorted and burst into giggle. "Ah, yes. Such incompetence cannot go unpunished."

"Indeed." I said solemnly. "And how did sergeant Klaus motivate you before your escort mission with Miss Motti? Did he inspire you with his usual words of wisdom?"

"Of course he did." Replied Yalasa, just managing to control her giggles and display a serious expression on her face. "When we were in the armoury today, sergeant Klaus told me that it was great dishonour for him to have to serve with such a weak pathetic woman who is a disgrace to the stormtrooper corps. He also told me that I deserved to be burned to a cinder on the planet of Despayre with all the other traitor, rebel, criminal and alien scum when it was destroyed by the Death Star."

Each time we were in the armoury equipping ourselves to go on duty, sergeant Klaus never hid his contempt for the regular human troopers in our squad. He always rained down insults on each one of us, reserving special abuse for Yalasa and Harmony. Each day, he made it clear that he did not consider normal humans to be sufficiently competent to serve in the stormtrooper corps.

"Sergeant Klaus is truly an inspirational leader." Continued Yalasa, staring trance like into space.

"Yes, one of the best." I nodded solemnly.

We sat in silence for a moment, smiling at each other and trying not to laugh. Then a thought occurred to me. Even though sergeant Klaus clearly loathed me, it did not make sense that he would choose Yalasa over me for the Miss Motti escort mission. As much as he had contempt for me, nothing could match his hatred for the women in the squad. It did not make sense that sergeant Klaus would choose Yalasa as his partner over me for that mission. Not voluntarily anyway.

"Why did sergeant Klaus pick you for the Miss Motti escort assignment." I asked Yalasa. "He wouldn't pick a woman voluntarily over a man for the mission."

Yalasa shrugged but didn't say anything.

"Did someone request you specifically for the assignment?" I asked her.

Yalasa shrugged again and looked down at her tray. She stayed silent. If she knew something, she was not going to tell me.

* * *

Later we returned to our quarters where we found that our other squad mates had returned from their psychological review. We spoke to them briefly and exchanged information on our experiences of the last two days. As expected, Yalasa boasted to them about how she had witnessed first hand the destruction of Despayre and met Lord Vader. Like me, they were all filled with envy.

As we spoke, sergeant Klaus entered our quarters and told us to report immediately to the parade hall in full armour. We would be receiving two new replacement troopers in the squad. After putting on our armour in the armoury, we lined up in the parade room and awaited for the two replacements to enter.

The first replacement met our expectations. He was another clone corporal. His name was Kell. He took his place in our line.

I thought Timor might be our second replacement. But Timor did not appear. Instead, sergeant Klaus introduced us to a regular human. A regular human with the name of Skeen.

Skeen was back!

* * *

_PSYCHOLOGICAL REVIEW_

_REVIEW OF JOURNAL - TROOPER LC-9087_

_After completing the psychological reviews, only troopers GB-1314 (aka Harmony) and trooper ZW-8865 (aka Bloor) should be considered to join trooper LC-9087 (the subject) and trooper RC-5342 (aka Yalasa) for escort duty with Leia Organa._

_We note that General Bast specifically requested that trooper RC-5342 (aka Yalasa) be assigned to the escort mission of Miss Jentessa Motti. _

* * *

**Author's note: All the events mentioned in the last two chapters relating to the destruction of Despayre and the Jentessa Motti escort mission are fully described in chapters 8 and 9 of the story Family Ties 2 by author Ladyofdarkstar. The events and characters in FT2 cross over with this story.**

**The Yalasa ray tube incident is also mentioned in the first Family Ties story, a one-shot introducing the character of Jentessa Motti, also written by Ladyofdarkstar.**

**I truly love both FT stories and fully recommend them.**


	28. Obedience & Glory

CHAPTER 28 - OBEDIENCE AND GLORY

The next day everything was different.

I awoke in my bunk with a new sense of determination flowing through me. Quietly and orderly, all the troopers in our quarters made their may to the fresher. Everyone washed in silence. No one spoke a word. No one made a sound.

Later, as I put on my jump suit at my bunk, I looked over at the other troopers. Like me they dressed themselves in silence. Normally they would be talking to each other as they changed, often laughing and joking. But today they said nothing. Gone were the laughter and smiles that we normally exchanged each morning. Instead, they were replaced by the grim-faced resolve and single-minded determination to serve the Emperor.

I thought back to how the members of the squad had laughed and joked in our quarters during the previous evening. I remembered how we eagerly listened to Yalasa as she proudly described how the planet of Despayre was destroyed by the Death Star. And how we all looked upon Yalasa in admiration and envy as she spoke of her encounter with Lord Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin.

I also remembered how I laughed with the other male troopers as Yalasa and Harmony teased me about my supposed romantic interest in Miss Jentessa Motti. I remembered how Harmony feigned jealousy, pouting her lips and pretending to weep because I had forsaken her for Miss Motti. I also remembered how Yalasa had pretended to comfort Harmony, telling her what a wonderful person she was and what I bastard I was. All to the amusement of the male troopers in the squad, including myself.

But all that seemed distant, as if it was a dream. As if it was a nightmare. I looked back at these moments of joviality and elation with a sense of shame and dishonour. After all, we were loyal soldiers of the Galactic Empire vowed to crush the enemies of the Emperor. All that joking and laughter seemed frivolous and trivial. And certainly not worthy of devoted servants of the Emperor.

I realised that we had allowed ourselves to become distracted. We had lost our focus and lost sight of our noble objective. The only true purpose for our existence: To fulfil the will of the Emperor.

We all went to the mess. As usual, the mess was about three-quarters full. But today, it was silent. Normally, there was a constant murmur as dozens of off-duty troopers conversed with each other. But today no one said a word. Each trooper in the mess ate silently, absorbed in his own thoughts. Contemplating how he would best serve the will of the Emperor that day.

I remember how unusually loud the mess was the evening before, during my conversation with Yalasa. At every table, troopers were discussing the destruction of Despayre. Everyone was in good spirits. There was almost a celebratory atmosphere in the mess such as I have never seen before. It seemed that everyone wanted to express their pride in the Emperor's achievement. Even units that were predominately made up of clones were animated and lively. Usually, clones sit in silence or talk quietly. But that day, they smiled, laughed, joked and talked loudly, just like human troopers would do.

But today was different. Every one of us was focussed on fulfilling the will of the Emperor. I realise that a new age had dawned for the Empire. With the total destruction of Despayre, the Emperor had taught us that there can be no comprises when fulfilling his will. There can only be total devotion, full commitment and absolute obedience. The only alternative is death and destruction.

As loyal servants of the Empire, we have always understood that the life of every sentient being (and indeed every non-sentient being) belongs unconditionally to the Emperor. Each and every individual, whether human or alien, only exists because the Emperor, in his merciful generosity, permits it. And since all beings owe their lives to the Emperor, they also owe him absolute obedience. For that reason, there is only one law that truly exists in the Empire: Absolute obedience to the Emperor. As loyal soldiers of the Empire, we imperial stormtroopers proudly enforce that one law; that every being should unconditionally bow to the will of the Emperor. And we administer only one punishment for failing to comply: Death.

With the destruction of Despayre, the Emperor had demonstrated that each and every planet in the galaxy was at his mercy. Every planet was the property of the Emperor, to be spared or destroyed at his command. In effect, each planet is only permitted to exist because the Emperor wills it.

The Death Star is the manifestation of the Emperor's absolute dominion over all beings and the places where they live. If the Emperor decides, in his limitless wisdom, that a planet is no longer worthy of its place in the Galactic Empire, that planet would rightly be destroyed. With the destructive power of the Death star at his disposal, nothing can escape the will of the Emperor, whether it be a lone traitor or an entire planet. And while we stormtroopers execute the will of the Emperor over his individual subjects, the Death Star executes the will of the Emperor over the planets he rules.

After eating, we all went to our quarters to prepare ourselves for duty. Sergeant Klaus entered our quarters and informed us that our routine duties for the day had been cancelled. The whole squad had been assigned to a special mission.

We all went to the armoury to equip ourselves with our armour and weapons. Sergeant Klaus briefed us with the details of the special mission. The imperial authorities had identified a group of traitors aboard the Death Star who were conspiring against the Empire. Our mission was to detain the ring leader, a navy lieutenant named Carlos Chandra, and execute any co-conspirators who offered resistance.

We were to operate under order 3812B(CC)-1744D-5510X

The 3812 order required us to capture Chandra alive. However, we were permitted to wound him or stun him if required. With a high priority of 'B' assigned to the mission, this meant that our lives were dispensable in the capture of Chandra.

Order 1744 was a straight forward kill order. If anyone offered resistance to the capture of Chandra, we were to summarily execute them. There would be no mercy. The priority rating of 'D' indicated that we should ensure all traitors were eliminated even at the price of our own lives.

Order 5510X required us to safeguard imperial property and the lives of imperial servants in the combat zone. However, with a low priority of 'X' assigned to it, this objective was regarded as having insignificant importance.

Our whole platoon would be involved in the operation. Our squad would have the honour of detaining Chandra. The other three squads in the platoon would hold back in reserve in case there was any armed resistance. Sergeant Klaus told us that our commanders did not expect any resistance during the operation, so we would probably not need the assistance of the other squads.

Sergeant Klaus then went on to say that we were fortunate to be given the honour of taking part in such an noble mission, given that we were inferior troopers full of weakling humans and women. Sergeant Klaus went on to say that he could not expect us to perform to the exceptionally high standards of clone troopers. But he was confident the mission would be a success, since clones such as himself and corporal Kell were leading the mission.

Sergeant Klaus then outlined his plan for the mission. He informed us that he and corporal Kell would enter the target location first. The rest of us inferior troopers would follow them in and secure the area while he and corporal Kell detained Chandra.

Sergeant Klaus then turned his attention to Yalasa and Harmony. He told them that it was with great regret that he was obliged to take them with him on the mission. He informed them that they were weak willed spineless women who had no place on an imperial military installation. Being the most inferior troopers in the squad, sergeant Klaus assigned them to guard duty outside the door of the target location until the operation was over.

Sergeant Klaus also turned his attention to me. He informed me that, given I had a history of shooting dead loyal soldiers of the Empire during operations, I was a potential danger to the successful completion of the operation. So sergeant Klaus instructed me to enter the location only after all other male troopers had passed through the doorway.

We all listened respectfully to sergeant's Klaus' instructions and comments. He was our commanding NCO. His orders and instructions represented the will of the Emperor. We would obey him obediently and with pride.

Fully equipped and armoured, sergeant Klaus led us out of the armoury and towards the target location, one of the many communications room which was used to monitor and control communications to and from the Death Star. We walked at a brisk but unhurried pace through the Death Star's corridors towards the target location. Elsewhere, the other squads from our platoon were moving to their assigned positions from where they could provide us with support in the unlikely event we should need it.

It should have been a straight forward mission. All we needed to do was walk into the communication centre, secure the area and detain Chandra. But the mission would not be routine. Someone had informed Chandra that we were coming. He and his fellow traitors would be waiting for us. But as we made our way through the corridors of the Death Star, we did not know all this.

We continued to march briskly through the corridors, two by two. Suddenly, sergeant Klaus ordered us to move at the double. He had obviously received a new order from stormtrooper command. He did not give us any information. He just ordered us to sprint at full speed. We ran through the corridors, barging anyone aside who was in our way. We did not make any compromises for rank or uniform. Anyone who found themselves in our way was shoved against a wall or knocked violently to the floor. We were on a top priority operation to detain and execute confirmed traitors of the Galactic Empire. Nothing would delay us in reaching our objective.

We reached the entrance of the communication centre. Sergeant Klaus opened the blast door and entered. Corporal Kell, Bloor, Skeen, Manadala and Davos quickly followed him in. As they passed through the doorway in front of me, I heard the sound of heavy blaster fire coming from inside the control centre. It was clear that Chandra and his traitor friends were determined to resist us.

I entered the control centre and immediately started opening firing from the hip on enemy targets with my E-11 blaster rifle. Yalasa and Harmony stood guard outside the door as they were originally ordered by Klaus. Although there was a firefight going on inside the control room, neither Harmony nor Yalasa could enter to support us unless ordered to do so by an appropriate commanding officer.

The control room was a war zone. The fixtures and durasteel surfaces of the control room were darkened from blaster impacts. Many items of moveable furniture were in ruins or blasted to pieces. Bodies of navy personnel and navy troopers littered the floor all around the control centre. Clearly, there had been a violent firefight between traitors and loyalist navy personnel before we arrived.

Blaster bolts of all colours flew in every directions as stormtroopers and traitors fired upon each other. Sergeant Klaus, Skeen, Mandala and Davos were standing in a line in front of the door exchanging blaster fire with about a dozen traitors in the uniforms of navy personnel and navy troopers who had taken cover behind workstations, fittings and bulkheads I noticed that the armoured bodies of Corporal Kell and Bloor were lying motionless on the floor. We had already suffered two casualties.

The blaster fire was intense in both directions. The danger was further increased by that the fact that much of the blaster bolts rebounded several times off the durasteel surfaces. I moved up to where my fellow troopers were standing, continuing to blast away at the traitors opposing us. I saw a couple of the traitors fall as they were hit by blaster fire from our squad.

Suddenly, sergeant Klaus was hit by two blaster rounds in quick succession and crashed to the floor. I tried to contact him to confirm his status. It was clear he was incapacitated. Davos was then hit directly in the left leg. But fortunately he was able to continue in the fight.

I contacted Yalasa by comm and informed her of the situation. With sergeant Klaus and corporal Kell out of action, Yalasa was required to take command as she was the most experienced among the regular troopers in the squad. Yalasa did not hesitate to take decisive action.

Yalasa and Harmony immediately entered the control centre and opened fire on the traitors with their E-11 blaster rifles. The additional fire power from the two experienced female troopers caused a couple of the traitors to fall to the ground. Many of the other traitors ducked down below their cover to avoid the intense fire coming their way.

Yalasa ordered Mandala and the wounded Davos to take cover and form a separate fire team. They were to follow behind the rest of us, giving us covering fire as we advanced into the control centre. Yalasa led me, Harmony and Skeen towards the enemy. We moved forward raining a constant stream of blaster fire on the enemy positions as per traditional stormtrooper tactics.

Yalasa led me, Skeen and Harmony forward to engage the enemy directly and locate Chandra. We assumed that Chandra would be hiding at the semicircular control desk located on a raised platform in the centre of the control room. Blaster bolts were still flying in all directions.

Our tactics were straight forward. We advanced steadily, concentrating a steady stream of blaster fire on the enemy position to keep them pinned down. We worked together to provide each other with supporting fire, often calling on Davos and Mandala to concentrate their fire on specific enemy positions. When a traitor exposed himself to shoot or flee, we gunned him down. If a traitor stayed hidden, one of us would circumvent his position to gun them down from the flank while the others gave covering fire. We slaughtered several of the traitors this way.

Yalasa ordered us to concentrate our fire on any navy troopers who were still in the fight. They were more dangerous to us than the fleet personnel. Although the navy troopers were not as well armoured, trained or equipped as stormtroopers, many of them were very effective in combat. They could easily take down a stormtrooper if given the time and opportunity to take careful aim. They had proven how deadly they could be by taking out three of our fellow stormtroopers. Sergeant Klaus had not give us any specific instructions on targeting navy troopers first. He had mistakenly regarded them as totally ineffective and personally suffered the consequences for his poor judgement. However, Yalasa did not underestimate them. She did not make the same mistake. A couple of minutes later, under Yalasa's direction we had neutralised most of the navy troopers opposing us.

The rest of the traitors were in the uniforms of fleet personnel. We were not so concerned about them. Unlike the navy troopers, the fleet personal were not trained or experienced in close-quarters fire-fights like the one we were involved in. Most of the time, they frantically blasted away with unaimed shots which didn't go anywhere near us as they desperately tried to stay in cover. We gunned them down mercilessly when they exposed themselves to shoot or when we outflanked their positions as we advanced.

Our constant fire on the enemy positions ensured that the traitors did not manage to get off many well aimed shots at us. However, we all received hits by blaster bolts as we advanced. Our stormtrooper armour either absorbed most of the power of the blaster bolts or deflected the shots away, reducing the potential damage to our bodies. We all received light wounds. But we could all continue fighting.

Soon, as we approached the control desk in the centre of the room, there were only two fleet personnel and one navy trooper left. The two fleet traitors were firing from behind the control desk. The navy trooper was shooting from behind a bulkhead to our right. We regarded the navy trooper as the most dangerous, so we concentrated most of our fire on him. However, despite being under intense fire, the navy trooper managed to send a burst of blaster fire towards Skeen. Skeen received a blaster bolt to the hip and fell to his knees.

The traitor navy trooper was made to pay dearly for his misplaced fanaticism. He was hit by at least five blaster bolts as Harmony and Yalasa and I opened fire on him. Riddled with blaster rounds, he fell to the floor and lay still.

Skeen reported that he was wounded, but was still in action. Yalasa ordered him to take cover and provide covering fire.

Yalasa, Harmony and I continued advancing, easily gunning down the last two fleet traitors who were defending the central control desk. We rushed up the steps onto the raised platform where the control desk was located. Harmony was first, followed by myself and Yalasa.

As we stepped onto the platform behind the control desk, we could see Chandra crouched down beside a monitor desperately working on some sort of communications device. He was only about three meters from us. Suddenly, a navy trooper who was crouching down by another part of the control desk opened fire on us. We had not seen him before because he had not taken part in the firefight. He had obviously kept himself hidden to take us by surprise.

His tactic partially worked. He fired several shots at us with an E-11 from only three meters away. Two blaster bolts hit Harmony full in the chest area, causing her to fall back onto the metal floor. I quickly turned my blaster on the navy trooper and fired a burst, neutralising him instantly. But before I could turn my blaster back towards Chandra and set it to stun, I felt a blaster round hit me in the right shoulder. A second blaster round flew past me. Chandra had drawn a blaster pistol and fired at me. I felt myself fall to the floor under the impact of the first blaster bolt.

Just as I collapsed to the floor, I saw Yalasa step over Harmony's prone body and fire a stun blast. The stun blast hit Chandra and he fell to the floor. The battle was over.

Despite the wound in my shoulder, I managed to struggle to my feet. Yalasa went over to Chandra and checked his status. She confirmed he was alive and unconscious. She quickly put restraints on his wrists and ankles. We had achieved the key mission objective of detaining Chandra alive.

I checked Harmony. She was dead. I confirmed her status to Yalasa. Yalasa ordered us to secure the control centre and provide her with the status of all troopers from the squad.

Having secured Chandra, Yalasa set her blaster to kill and sent three blaster bolts into the navy trooper who had killed Harmony to ensure he was dead. In other parts of the control centre, I could hear the sound of more isolated blaster bolts as Davos, Mandala and Skeen made sure that the other traitors in the room were all dead.

For an operation that was supposed to be routine, casualties were high.

Corporal Kell, Bloor and Harmony were dead. They would be entered into the archive of imperial heros. All three had died gloriously in combat against traitors of the Empire. It was an honourable death. Sergeant Klaus was critically wounded and in a coma. That meant we would need a new sergeant, a corporal and at least one further replacement to replenish our squad numbers.

Skeen, Davos and I were moderately wounded. But I believed that we would all soon be back in action after a session of of bacta treatment. Yalasa and Mandala had both received light wounds, but could still operate at almost full effectiveness.

Despite our casualties, we had achieved our mission objective. We had captured Chandra and killed his co-conspirators. It was another glorious day for the Empire.

Shortly afterwards, the other three squads from our platoon entered the control centre and secured the area. Yalasa ordered me, Skeen and Davos to the medical centre to receive treatment. We all walked through the corridors in silence. We tried to ensure that we did not give the impression we were wounded despite the pain it caused us.

When we arrived in the medical centre, the medical droids treated our wounds with bacta. As I expected, we were all back on active service by the end of the same day. Later we went to the mess and took our rations. Then we returned to our quarters and went directly to sleep, looking forward to another day serving the will of the Emperor.

* * *

_PSYCHOLOGICAL REVIEW_

_REVIEW OF JOURNAL - TROOPER LC-9087_

_The change of behaviour among the troopers has been caused by a modification to the mix of medication applied to their rations. The destruction of Despayre resulted in an extreme emotional reaction among all troopers, including sensations of elation, euphoria and even ecstasy. Although there has been no negative effect on the loyalty or devotion of the troopers towards the Emperor ( In fact, if anything loyalty and devotion have increased), the increased emotional reaction may be detrimental to the effectiveness, efficiency and obedience of the troopers._

_In order to counteract the extreme emotional impact, we applied a small amounts of the conditioning drug normally used on new recruits to reinforce the trooper's obedience to their commanding officers and suppress their emotions. Since the drug can do long term damage to the troopers' mental condition, the drug was only applied in a small dose on a one time basis. The drug will only have a a short term effect. Some troopers may suffer withdrawal symptoms when the effect of the drug wears off, especially if a trooper suffers emotional trauma. The status of all troopers should be monitored closely for the next few days._

_After the success of the critical mission to capture the traitor Carlos Chandra, two high ranking officers have recommended trooper RC-5342 (aka Yalasa) for promotion to corporal. Given the high quality of leadership demonstrated by RC-5342, the recommendation will have to be accepted, even though there is resistance from some sections of the stormtrooper corps. The officers who recommended RC-5342 for promotion are General Bast, chief aide to Grande Moff Tarkin, and Major Denlin who is currently based on Alderaan._

* * *

_ISB - INTELLIGENCE REPORT - TOP SECRET_

_During the day, there were several detentions of traitors among navy personnel in the Death Star. There were a total of four fire fights in the station during the course of the day between stormtrooper squads and traitors. The heaviest fire-fight took place during the operation to detain the traitor Carlos Chandra. Further detentions and executions of identified traitors will take place over the next few days._

_Our investigation has concluded that someone in a high command position alerted Chandra that a stormtrooper squad was on its way to detain him. That is why he and his co-conspirators were able eliminate loyalist personnel and prepare defensive positions before the squad arrived._

_After investigation, we have since confirmed that Carlos Chandra was attempting to send a message to Alderaan to warn the government there of the planned destruction of the their planet. Chandra was on the brink of breaking the security codes in our systems which would have enabled him to send the message to Alderaan when he was stunned and captured by Corporal Yalasa. The decisive action by Corporal Yalasa prevented Chandra from sending the message. Corporal Yalasa fulfilled the will of the Empire. We commend her for her actions._


	29. Disharmony

**Author's forenote: First of all, I would like to apologise for the length of this chapter at more than six thousand words long. Normally, I would prefer to split chapters up. But in this case, I feel that everything needs to stay in one chapter as events in the beginning and middle of the chapter directly impact on those at the end.**

**Also, I would like to thank author Ladyofdarkstar for her collaboration in this story. I thank her for the use of her OC Jentessa Motti. I would like to mention that the turbolift scene later in this chapter also appears in chapter 10 of Ladyofdarkstar's story - Family Ties II. I recommend reading the story as it ties in directly with this one. Plus it is a great story.**

CHAPTER 29 - DISHARMONY

The next day, I woke up with a blazing headache. That was unusual. Usually, we awake feeling fresh and brimming with energy, anxious to carry out our duty in the name of the Emperor.

But today, I could hardly crawl out of my bunk. My head ached. My body ached. I felt exhausted. Both emotionally and physically exhausted. I sat up on the edge of my bunk and put my head in my hands. It felt just like a hangover. Or at least what I imagined a hangover to be like.

As a devoted servant of the Emperor, I have always believed that I should keep a clear head at all times. I have never allowed myself to become drunk and thus do know what it is like to have a hangover caused by alcohol. So as I sat there with my pounding head and aching limbs, I imagined that this was probably what a hangover would feel like.

I looked around the sleeping quarters and noted that I was not alone in my suffering. Nearly every other trooper was lethargically crawling from his bunk, holding his head and groaning in despair. The only exception was Skeen. He seemed to be the only one who was fresh and full of energy. He looked around at us with a bemused expression on his face.

I managed to get up off my bunk and stagger towards the fresher. I stumbled past Harmony's bunk, the covers still undisturbed. I remembered that she was dead. Killed by a traitor in the mission of the previous day.

Suddenly, I found myself experiencing a flood of sounds, images and other sensations that reminded me of Harmony. I saw her smiling as she looked into my eyes. I heard her giggle as she teased me about my supposed infatuation with Jentessa Motti. I remembered the smell and touch of her skin as we lay together in her bunk.

A wave of of sorrow and despair swept over me as I realised that I would never see or speak to Harmony again. I felt myself lean against the wall beside her empty bunk to stop myself from collapsing to the floor, as more images of her swamped my mind. I felt an almost overpowering desire to weep. I put my face in my hands to hide my anxiety. With great shame, I desperately repeated my oath to the Emperor to give me strength in my moment of despair.

It worked, at least temporarily. I managed to regain control of my emotions and pull myself away from the wall. I looked up, half expecting the other troopers to be looking at me with curiosity or disdain. But they were all too busy struggling with their own hangover to notice my distress.

I made my way, to the fresher and washed myself. I could hear the other troopers moaning and groaning around me. But I hardly noticed them. No one said a word to each other. They all just washed and then went to their bunks to get changed. The fresher made me feel a little better. But not much.

I eventually finished in the fresher and made my way back to my bunk where I put on my off-duty jump suit. Then I made my way to the mess to eat with the others.

In the mess, it became evident that nearly every trooper there was suffering the same hangover symptoms as us. There was a low murmur as some troopers quietly talked among themselves. Most just ate quietly or sat with their heads in their hands.

As usual, all members of our squad sat together. Yalasa sat right beside the wall as she normally did. No one sat opposite her in the place where Harmony would normally sit. No one would dare. With great sadness, I realised that Harmony would never eat with us ever again. I remembered how Harmony used to chat and giggle joyfully with Yalasa in the mess. I closed my eyes as another wave of grief swept over me.

I sat directly to the left of Harmony's empty place. On my right, there was another empty chair where Bloor would have sat if he was with us. I remembered that Bloor had also been killed in the previous mission. Again, everyone left Bloor's place free as if he was still alive. It was not tradition to leave an empty chair for a fallen fellow trooper. But in this case, we left a place for both him and Harmony. As if we couldn't yet accept that they were gone.

I found myself sitting between the two empty chairs. Yalasa, Mandala and Davos sat opposite me, all looking bleary eyed and exhausted. Davos stared blankly into the space where Bloor would normally be sitting in front of him. Mandala, who was opposite me, sat head down staring at his tray. Skeen sat on the edge of our group, still looking fresh-faced and relatively contented.

Yalasa sat with a blank expression on her face. It reminded me of the time when I sat with Yalasa in the mess after the Tantive mission just over two weeks before. I remembered how she barely managed to contain the emotions building within her. That day, Yalasa had lost Noremac. This time, Yalasa had now lost Harmony. I was sure that Yalasa was feeling that same deep sense of loss all over again. This time I knew how she felt. Because I felt it too.

I looked over to Skeen who was quietly eating from his tray. Up to now, I had not given Skeen much thought since he returned. I was too occupied with our mission against the traitors to think about him.

But now, I started to remembered how Skeen's incompetence had resulted in the failure of our critical mission on Tatooine, ultimately causing the death of Speeler and Captain Terrik. I felt a surge of bitterness as I remembered how we executed Speeler as part of the Decimation process. I always believed that Skeen should have been the one standing against the wall in front of our firing squad. Not Speeler.

I scowled at Skeen across the table. "What are you doing here, Skeen?" I snapped at him.

Skeen looked up at me in surprise. He was obviously taken aback by my sudden aggressive attitude towards him. Davos and Mandala also looked at him, awaiting his reply. Yalasa showed no interest. She continued to stare blankly in front of her.

"Why did you come back here? After what you did on Tatooine?"

Skeen looked at me perplexed. "What do you mean? I have never been to Tatooine. I don't know what you are talking about."

"You were the commanding NCO on Tatooine when we failed the mission." I scoffed in disdain. "Don't you remember that, Skeen? After the Tantive mission, we lost Speeler because of you."

"I don't know what you mean." Skeen really seemed to mean what he said. "I came here straight from the academy. I have never been to Tatooine. I never took part in the Tantive mission. I don't know who Speeler is. I have never met any of you before I came to the Death Star."

Davos, Mandala and I looked at Skeen wide-eyed. Skeen sat there looking at each of is in perplexed silence.

"I am just a regular trooper fresh out the academy." Continued Skeen, obviously disconcerted. "I have never been an NCO."

Davos, Manadala and I looked at each other in shocked realisation. Even Yalasa stirred from her trance-like state to to look over at Skeen with an expression of vague interest on her face.

Of course, we all knew what had happened. They had wiped Skeen's memory from the time he had left the academy. Skeen truly believed that he was a newly gradulated trooper who had just been assigned to his first unit. As far as Skeen was concerned, he had never taken part in the Tantive mission, he never went to Tatooine and he had never met any of us before.

We just sat in silence after that. I now understood why they had sent Skeen back to us. They were demonstrating what they could do if we failed to serve the will of the Emperor. They could take away our memories at any time.

I looked over at Skeen again. This time he had his head down over his tray, not daring to look at us. I considered that Skeen was extermely fortunate. Despite his failure, he had been given a second chance to serve the Emperor and redeem his honour. Any dishonoured stormtrooper would feel fortunate to be given such a second chance, even at the cost of a few years of memory. We only existed to serve the Emperor. Trivial and transient things like memories were unimportant compared to our service to the Emperor.

I reminded myself that our superior officers, in their superior wisdom, had made the decision to send Skeen back to us. I reluctantly accepted that it was the will of the Emperor that Skeen should serve in our squad. We were honour bound to accept him. I decided to ignore Skeen and concentrated on eating my rations.

As I ate, my headache and feeling of lethargy started to dissipate. Physically, I started to feel much stronger and energetic. I had a good idea why I was feeling better. I was sure that it was because of the medication that they put in our rations.

All of us know that our food is sometimes laced with drugs that enhance our performance as imperial stormtroopers. Rumours are rife as to what types of drugs are used and how often they are applied. Normally we don't notice the effect of the drugs applied to us on a day to day basis. We eat, sleep and do our duty. We rarely notice any significant changes that would suggest we are being drugged. To the extent that we are never sure if they are administering drugs to us or not.

However, there are times when we know for sure that a drug has been administered to us. And this was one of these times.

There is one particular drug which the stormtrooper academy administers to stormtroopers recruits. It is a strong conditioning drug that enhances our devotion and dedication to fulfilling the will of the Emperor. Long term exposure to the drug can result in severe brain-damage. So we are only kept on the drug for a few weeks. When they took us off the drugs, the withdrawal effects were severe, causing us all to suffer headaches, lethargy and increased emotional sensitivity. And that was just exactly what I was feeling this morning.

I was sure that our superior officers must have put us on the conditioning drug again for a short time. I do not know why they did it, but they must have concluded that it was necessary. As far as I was concerned, if administering the drug made us more efficient and effective in serving the will of the Emperor, then I would willingly embrace and accept any harm or discomfort that it caused me.

Only Skeen seemed unaffected. I assumed that Skeen was still in the shuttle on the way to the Death Star when the rest of us received the drug in our rations. That is why he did not receive a dose and was not suffering from withdrawal.

I looked around the mess again, my head now a lot clearer. Many troopers were clearly affected from withdrawal symptoms of the conditioning drug, suffering from headaches and lethargy. Many were also more irritable than usual. Occasionally, voices were raised as an argument broke out between squad members. Behaviour like that was normally rare in a stormtrooper mess. We normally reserved our aggression for the battlefield or the training hall.

One time, a scuffle even broke out between two clones as an argument turned physical. Fortunately, their squad mates intervened before a full scale brawl could break out or anyone was killed or injured. There would be no clone fratricide this time.

* * *

After finishing our meals, we reported to the parade hall where we would be presented to our new NCO. As usual, we were required to equip ourselves in stormtrooper armour for the presentation. Shortly after entering the hall and standing to attention in a line, a lieutenant in the usual black stormtrooper officer uniform walked up to us. He was accompanied by a sergeant in stormtrooper armour.

The lieutenant presented us to our new squad sergeant. His name was Dreyfus. The lieutenant departed almost immediately, leaving us with our new squad leader. Sergeant Dreyfus took off his helmet and looked at each one of us. It was yet another clone. I expected he would be another harsh, arrogant, unimaginative clone like Klaus.

I couldn't be more wrong.

The first thing sergeant Dreyfus did was to step in front of Yalasa. I expected him to throw the usual insults at her. But instead, he smiled at her. Not the malicious smile of contempt and hatred that Klaus used to display so much. But a smile full of warmth

"Step forward, corporal Yalasa." Said sergeant Dreyfus. Yalasa obeyed and advanced two paces.

Yalasa had been promoted. That did not completely surprised me. Despite being a woman, she had proven herself to be a capable leader and soldier. Despite my reservations about female stormtroopers, I believed that Yalasa deserved to be an NCO.

What did surprise me was the the expression of genuine delight on sergeant Dreyfus' face. It was rare to see a stormtrooper sergeant show any overt demonstration of joy. Never mind a clone who had just promoted a woman to corporal.

Sergeant Dreyfus ordered us all to stand at ease and take off our helmets. We did as he ordered. Then he stepped forward and put his right hand on Yalasa's shoulder.

"It is good to see you again, corporal Yalasa." Sergeant Dreyfus smiled warmly at her. "It has been too long. I knew you would make a fine stormtrooper. It is an honour to serve with you."

Yalasa stood expressionless in front of him. "Yes, sir." Was all she said in reply.

I frowned in confusion and suspicion as I heard sergeant Dreyfus praise Yalasa. A stormtrooper NCO praising a female trooper was almost unheard of. I found the whole thing unsettling.

Sergeant Dreyfus ordered Yalasa to stand beside him so that she was facing us. He told us that Yalasa was his second in command and all her orders should be obeyed without question, unless countermanded by an officer or NCO of superior rank. That was, of course, something that we already knew. Yalasa stood beside him impassively, the blank emotionless expression on her face contrasting with the disturbing smiles that sergeant Dreyfus threw at each one of us from time to time.

Sergeant Dreyfus informed us that Yalasa and I had been assigned to a special mission. In the meantime, he would take command of the rest of the squad on standard patrol and guard duty.

Afterwards, sergeant Dreyfus pulled Yalasa and I aside. He informed us that we had been assigned an urgent escort mission. We were to escort Leia Organa between detention blocks again. Both Yalasa and I stood blank-faced as he told us.

Sergeant Dreyfus dismissed us with another one of his disturbing smiles. Yalasa and I made our may to the armoury to ensure we were properly equipped. Although we were in stormtrooper armour and armed with an E-11 blasters, we were only really equipped for parade and marching drills. We needed to go to the armoury to equip ourselves with further blaster cartridges and ensure that our communication and location devices were in working order. Also, when escorting VIPs and prisoners, we were required to equip ourselves with a radiation shield in case there was a radiation leak. The shield was almost never used. But it was standard equipment for such missions.

This time we were on an 9641A(LO) prisoner escort mission. As usual, we were required to escort Organa, protecting her with our lives where necessary.

However, it was more flexible than the 4669A order we were operating under when Straven was killed. The 9641 order allowed us to stun or gag the prisoner if she became disruptive. Our officers obviously recognised how dangerous Leia Organa could be. However, we were still required to allow her to speak to some extent. Imperial High command obviously still hoped that Organa may give away some rebel secrets as we escorted her through the station.

After equipping ourselves, Yalasa and I stood for a moment face-to-face with our helmets off. She looked at me with a blank expression on her face. I wondered if she could sense the anxiety and emotional pain that I felt within me. I wondered if she felt the same pain as I did. For a minute, I thought she would say nothing. Then she extended her right hand and placed it on my shoulder, looking deeply into my eyes.

"The Emperor wills that we complete this mission." She paused a moment, allowing her words to sooth my troubled soul. "If we have faith in him and each other, we shall succeed this day."

I also extended my right hand and placed it on Yalasa's left shoulder. For a moment, we both stood there, face-to-face, our right hand on the other's left shoulder. Two fellow imperial stormtroopers united in their determination to serve the Emperor.

Another wave of emotion swept over me. I couldn't bear to look any longer into Yalasa's eyes, fearing that I would lose myself forever. So I looked down, averting my eyes from hers.

"Yes, corporal." Was all I said in return. I didn't need to address her by rank. We were still officially off-duty. But it comforted me in that moment to use her rank rather than her name.

* * *

When we turned up at Organa's detention cell, she recognised us immediately.

"You two again?" She said, rolling her eyes to the ceiling."There are hundreds of thousands of stormtroopers in the galaxy. But they always send me you two delightful love birds."

As usual, we bound her hands in front of her, before escorting her out of the cell into the detention block corridor. I sensed that Organa seemed slightly more hesitant than usual. I noted with satisfaction and relief that she hadn't quoted our orders to us this time. She clearly wasn't sure what our orders were. In consequence, she couldn't be sure how we would react if she tried to manipulate and provoke us with her insidious and corrupting influence. However, despite her uncertainty, she would not be deterred. Only Leia Organa would be so bold.

"So where are your clone and psychopath friends this time?" Organa displayed a malicious grin on her face. "Or are they...indisposed."

"Silence!" Yalasa shoved Organa forward with the butt of her rifle. Organa looked back at Yalasa a little startled. Yalasa had shoved Organa much more brutally than in previous escort mission. Yalasa was clearly signalling to Organa that we would not tolerate dissent or disobedience this time.

Organa kept quiet until we left the detention block and were walking down the corridor towards the turbolift. For a moment, I thought Organa would remain quiet for the whole mission. But we were not so fortunate. Organa turned her attention to Yalasa.

"I see you are a corporal, now." Organa said to Yalasa. "Congratulations! It looks like all those innocent and defenceless people you murdered finally paid off."

I struck Organa lightly in the side with my rifle butt causing her to yelp with pain. "Silence!" I said.

Clearly annoyed, Organa turned her full attention to me.

"Ah, defending your girlfriend, loverboy." She said. That caused a shiver to go down my spine. "By the way, how is your mother?"

Yalasa shoved Organa forward again. "The prisoner will remain silent!"

Organa ignored Yalasa and continued talking.

"I presume they told you she was dead" Again Organa smiled maliciously at me, revelling in her lies and deceit. "Well, let me enlighten you, my rebel friend. Your mother is alive. Or should I say, your step-mother. She is probably nursing a new orphan boy whose parents were murdered by the Empire. The Empire lied to you. Whatever your dear step-mother mother told you about your past is a fabrication."

"I said silence!" Yalasa shoved Organa forward again.

Despite the venomous words spouting from Organa's mouth, I listened to her lies with calm. I knew my mother was dead. I knew Organa was trying to turn me mad like she did with Skeen and Straven. But nothing she said about my mother would ever disturb me. My mother was a devoted and loyal citizen of the Empire. She was a source of strength for me.

We continued walking down the corridor towards the turbolift. As we approached the turbolift door, Organa looked up at me again.

"You act calm, my rebel friend. But I know you are troubled."

Then as we reached the turbolift door, Organa turned to face me. She stood directly in front of me. What she said next was strange, unexpected and extremely disturbing.

"I can tell that you have lost your harmony." Said Organa, a sly smile playing on her lips.

With the mention of the word harmony, I froze and felt a cold shiver run down the length of my body. I felt Organa's eyes upon me. It was as if her gaze was worming its way into my soul. In a flash, I felt emotions of weakness surge through me: Compassion, empathy, grief, sorrow...love. Emotions that I felt ashamed to experience.

I looked at Organa. The expression of fear and doubt etched on her face surprised me. Of course, it was not fear of death or pain. Fanatics like Organa do not fear such things. It was as if she was afraid of what she had seen within me. As if the certainties that had formed her delusional world were now somehow in doubt. She had seen a stormtrooper feel love, grief and sorrow. That was something she obviously did not expect, nor indeed, want to see.

Yalasa was not impressed with Organa's attempts to provoke and manipulate me. Yalasa grabbed Organa and pushed her away from me, pinning her brutally against a wall with one hand. With a start, I suddenly felt a cloud lift from my mind. My consciousness returned to me and my mind was suddenly clear again. In my weakened emotional state, I realised in horror that Organa had managed to invaded my spirit. By pushing Organa against the wall, Yalasa had broken the link between us.

I must have flinched because I saw Yalasa shift position, placing herself between me and Organa. Yalasa clearly believed I could be a danger to the mission.

"Trooper LC-9087!" I heard Yalasa's male synthesised voice on the private comlink. I knew she would shoot me in a second if I did not respond immediately. The sound of my commanding NCO's voice brought me out of the trance-like state I had fallen into.

"Everything is under control, corporal." I responded as firmly as I could. I placed myself in the guard position and stood motionless. I saw Yalasa relax again, although still alert.

"Gag, the prisoner!" Yalasa ordered me in her male synthesised voice. Yalasa was obviously in no mood to tolerate Organa's games today. I opened my utility belt and grabbed the tape we used to gag prisoners.

"No wait, please." Organa pleaded. "I will stay silent. I promise."

After a slight pause, Yalasa ordered me through private comlink to put the gagging tape away. Although, we were in our right to gag Organa, we were supposed only to do so when the prisoner demonstrated persistent disobedience. For the moment, Organa seemed to be demonstrating a willingness to cooperate.

Yalasa grabbed Organa and shoved her face first against the turbolift door

"The prisoner will look forward! And the prisoner will remain completely silent!"

For once, Organa did what she was told. At least for the time being.

We all waited in silence until the turbolift arrived. We entered and Yalasa selected our destination on the control panel. All was quiet as the turbolift moved off. Organa stood between us in silence. She seemed to have a worried expression on her face. For once, she did not try to provoke us with her poisonous words of hate, lies and treason.

I thought we would get through the mission without further incident. But as I have learned from bitter experience, escort missions with Organa never go smoothly.

The first thing that happened was that a general alert sounded in the station. This would require any civilians to immediately leave any military areas of the Death Star. Then the turbolift we were in unexpectedly stopped.

The turbo lift door opened. Two stormtroopers and a female civilian entered.

I realised with surprise that the civilian was Jentessa Motti, accompanied by her two stormtrooper bodyguards. That situation was unexpected. In theory, our turbolift should not have been stopped before reaching its destination. However, I knew that Jentessa Motti was protected under a critical priority 0000A order which would allow her troopers to intercept and board any turbolift, if they deemed it necessary to lead Miss Motti to safety. Given that a general alert had sounded, Miss Motti's guards would be obliged to evacuate her immediately on the first turbolift that passed their location.

It was evident from the start that Organa and Miss Motti knew each other well. As the lift started to move off again, the two young women started to talk. We let them speak. We had no instructions to prevent Organa speaking to other civilians who came across our path. In fact, we hadn't expected to meet any civilians at all during the transfer.

At first, the conversation was friendly. But quickly, they started to argue, with Miss Motti accusing Organa of being involved in a plot to murder a diplomat friend of hers called Andryl Kuron. Organa denied involvement, blaming it on the Empire, spouting her usual stream of rebel lies and treason. In fact, Organa even suggested that imperial stormtroopers were involved in the assassination.

Yalasa ordered me to stay on high alert by internal comlink. Organa's treasonous words alone were not a reason for us to intervene. However, we monitored the situation carefully, looking for any signs that the situation may get out of control. We did not know the stormtroopers guarding Miss Motti. We did not know how they would react to Organa. Nor what corrupting influence she could have over them.

Then unexpectedly, Organa turned to me. She did not speak to me with her usual taunts and provocations. This time her tone was unusually polite and respectful.

"Am I right, trooper?" Organa said to me. "Of all my escorts, you have always remained the most level headed. Perhaps that is why you and the woman are always with me. Tell the lovely Miss Motti that I am wrong. Except that you know I am right,"

Organa rose up on her tiptoes, to look right through the eye slots of my helmet visor. "Just like I am right in everything I have said about you and your friends."

I knew that Organa's words were meant as a provocation. She was undoubtedly referring to her previous comments about my mother and Yalasa's promotion. But we soon found out that the provocation was not meant for us. It was meant for Miss Motti.

And it worked. Miss Motti suddenly reacted with rage and grabbed at Organa. The two young women spun round so that their positions were inverted. Leia was now in front of Miss Motti's stormtrooper guards. While Miss Motti found herself in front of us.

"I've had enough!" Replied Miss Motti. To my bemusement, she seemed to be defending us against Organa. "Do not ever—ever—disparage these people that risk everything to save our lives. To give us peace while you and your kind destroy it. I'll personally stop you before you so much as harm any of them with your poisonous words."

"My truths you mean," Replied Organa.

Organa was now clearly angry with Miss Motti. Smiling maliciously again, Organa turned to face one of Miss Motti's guards. Everything was suddenly in a state of confusion. Miss Motti screamed as Organa spoke to the stormtrooper in front of her.

"So, Sergeant," Organa said sweetly to one of Miss Motti's guards. "Who was your father? Let me guess, they told you that he was an Imperial fighter pilot. Am I correct?"

Organa was making the same assertion of lies and deceit that she had made to Skeen and myself in previous escort missions. Her lies had eventually driven Skeen mad on Tatooine. They had never affected me. But they had a disastrous and immediate impact on Miss Motti's stormtrooper guards.

I could see both Miss Motti's guards start to fidget as Leia addressed them. I realised with horror that Organa was going to do it again. She was going to corrupt more loyal soldiers of the Empire with her insidious influence. Just like she had done with Straven a few days before.

"Don't look so surprised." Organa continued speaking to the stormtrooper with her diatribe of lies. "Many stormtroopers are told their fathers are pilots who die gloriously fighting for the Galactic Empire. But you know what I think? I think your parents were rebels and the Empire killed them. The Empire lied to you."

For a moment, everyone stood in silence. But I immediately knew that there was something wrong by the way Miss Motti's guards started to make subtle erratic movements not associated with disciplined imperial stormtroopers.

I don't know how Organa managed to affect them so quickly this time. Perhaps it was the increased emotional instability caused by the withdrawal of the conditioning drug. Perhaps these troopers were more susceptible than usual to Organa's influence. Whatever, the reason, I could immediately see that both of Miss Motti's guards started to raise their blasters. I was sure they were intending to kill Organa.

Yalasa had noticed it too and reacted immediately. For a moment, we all stood seemingly in silence. But even before, the two stormtroopers on the other side of the turbollift raised their blaster, Yalasa was already taking action.

"Activate emergency protocol." Yalasa spoke urgently to me through the comm-link. "Get Organa out of here now!"

Yalasa slammed her hand on the emergency stop icon by the lift door, causing the lift to immediately halt at the nearest stop. Just as the lift doors began to open, I launched myself forward towards Organa. Before anyone else had a chance to react, I grabbed Organa and threw her out of the lift entrance. I fired a stun bolt into her body just as she landed on the floor in the corridor outside. I then threw myself out of the turbolift door after her. The whole action only lasted a couple of seconds.

I am not sure what happened next. There was blaster fire from inside the lift. I saw and heard blaster rounds rebound several times off the turbolift surfaces. Then I saw the turbolift disappear from view as it, and all its occupants, plummeted into the depths of the Death Star.

I had no time to ponder the fate of Yalasa or Miss Motti. Nor did I have time to ponder why the turbolift had malfunctioned, nor where it had gone. My primary objective was to ensure that Organa was safe and secure as per my mission objective. I checked Organa's status and noted that she was alive and unharmed. I dragged her to a wall and stood guard over her unconscious body. I immediately reported the situation to stormtrooper command by comlink. A few minutes later, a relief squad turned up and took possession of Organa's unconscious body. I was ordered to return to the stormtrooper zone of the Death Star for debriefing.

* * *

After changing into my off-duty jump-suit, I went to my sleeping quarters to consult my datapad. To my surprise and slight consternation, I found sergeant Dreyfus was waiting for me by my bunk, wearing his black dress stormtrooper uniform. Apart from Sergeant Dreyfus and me, there was no one else in the sleeping quarters.

Sergeant Dreyfus had a concerned expression on his face. He told me that Yalasa and Miss Motti were missing. Search teams were being organised to look for them. It surprised me that sergeant Dreyfus gave me that information. Normally, NCOs gave regular troopers no information on missing, wounded or dead fellow troopers.

Then sergeant Dreyfus put his hand on my shoulder and looked into my eyes. I looked down nervously, avoiding his gaze.

"I have known Yalasa since before she was a stormtrooper." Sergeant Dreyfus told me. "She is a born fighter. If there is a way to survive, she will find it. I am sure of it."

"Yes, sir." I replied. I had nothing more to say. I felt uncomfortable. I felt sick.

It suddenly began to dawn on me that Yalasa was gone. I felt my head spin as I realised that I could lose Yalasa forever. That I may never see her again. I felt a rush of anxiety course through my body. I put my hand on my head and steadied myself against the side of my bunk.

Under normal circumstances, most NCO' would have screamed and shouted at me at that point. They would have insulted me, telling me that I was a disgrace to the stormtrooper corps. That I was pathetic and weak willed. They would have told me to snap out of it. They would have threatened me with Penance duty and even administrative punishment. I expected it. I wanted it. I needed it.

But sergeant Dreyfus did not do any of these things. Instead, he said the worst thing he could have possibly said.

"I know that Yalasa was a very close companion of yours." Dreyfus spoke calmly and considerately. "Just as Noremac and Harmony were. Believe me, son. I understand how you feel."

For the first time in my life, I wished that sergeant Klaus was standing in front of me. He would have screamed insults at me and reminded me that my duty was to serve the Emperor. He would have reminded me that I had something to live and fight for.

But Klaus was not there. Instead, sergeant Dreyfus stood in front of me...reminding me of what I had lost.

"Now get some rest for a couple of hours." Said Sergeant Dreyfus. "And freshen up. You will be debriefed in a couple of hours."

Sergeant Dreyfus exited the quarters, leaving me alone. I looked around me. I saw the empty bunks of Yalasa, Harmony, Bloor and Timor. Bunks of fellow trooper I had lost. I started to feel the lethargy and headaches of my previous withdrawal symptoms return, this time with even greater intensity.

I found myself vividly remembering a recent event in the mess. Harmony and Timor exchanged banter with each other as Yalasa and Bloor looked on laughing. I realised with sadness that all four were gone now. I found myself in a cold sweat as images of my lost fellow troopers paraded before my eyes.

I decided to take a shower. I removed my clothes and staggered into the communal wash area. I felt the water vapour thick in the air all around me. It didn't help. It seemed to make my condition worse.

Images of all my fellow troopers who had died in the last three weeks flashed before my eyes: Harmony, Noremac, Speeler, Bloor, Brynnar, Thanos, Yanir, Jensen, Captain Terrik, Kell and even Straven.

I felt my head start to throb with agony. I put my head in my hands in a vain effort to relieve the pain. It didn't work.

I saw the face of my dead mother look at me, an expression of disappointment on her face. I felt my whole body go cold and numb. I felt frozen and lonely to the core.

I saw the face of Timor laughing at me as he so often did. Mocking me. I felt light-headed and found myself wavering on my feet.

I saw the image of Yalasa standing before me. She looked into my eyes, her right hand placed on my left shoulder just as she had done in the armoury; the last time I had seen her face. At that moment, I understood that I would probably never see her again. I felt a crushing emptiness within me. I found myself overwhelmed by an intense feeling of sorrow and grief, remembering all I had lost.

I felt so alone.

Exhausted, I sank to the floor and crouched down in one of the corners of the shower area. With my head in my hands, I tried to recite my oath to the Emperor. But to my great shame, I couldn't remember the words.

With a deep sense of shame and dishonour, I realised that I was a broken man. For the first time in my adult life since my entry in the stormtrooper academy, I started to sob.

I sat cold and alone in the corner, drowning in a flood of my own tears.

* * *

PSYCHOLOGICAL REVIEW

REVIEW OF JOURNAL - TROOPER LC 9087

The conditioning drug withdrawal symptoms have been more severe than we expected. Most troopers are suffering from severe headaches, lethargy and increased emotional sensitivity. We have changed the mix of medication in their rations to counteract the most severe negative physical effects. Some troopers who have recently suffered emotional stress, or who are particularly sensitive to the drug, may experience hallucinations and depression.

Trooper LC-9087 is clearly suffering from severe emotional instability. We believe his condition has been caused by 1) The high emotional stress experienced during recent operations and 2) the heightened emotional sensitivity caused by the conditioning drug's withdrawal symptoms. This combination of the two factors appears to be causing LC-9087 visions, hallucinations and extreme feelings of depression. The emotional instability of LC-9087 should only last a couple of days. His status should be monitored to ensure there is no lasting damage. If the condition persists, a memory adjustment procedure should be considered.

Due the temporary reduced effectiveness that all troopers will experience during the withdrawal period, ideally only routine patrol and guard duties should be carried out where possible for the next two days.


	30. Soul Searching

**Author's note: This chapter involves ****violence, heavy swearing and some strong sexist language in some cases. The F-word is used more than once. So be warned. It is rated M for a reason.**

CHAPTER 30 - SOUL SEARCHING

_"You must never be tempted to surrender yourselves to the false virtues of love and compassion. They can only weaken your resolve and will ultimately lead to defeat and humiliation. In moments of great inner conflict and doubt, only anger, ruthlessness and an implacable determination to serve the will of the Emperor with absolute obedience will permit you to prevail and crush your enemies." - Extract from the approved imperial text; 'The Philosophy of Victory'._

* * *

Desolation. Loneliness. Despair.

Sobbing uncontrollably, I sat trembling in the corner of the communal shower area, drowning in a flood of my own grief, sorrow and shame.

I was shivering with cold. My naked body freezing in the warm moist air of the shower. My soul bared shamefully for all to see.

I could not move. I could not think. I could not breath.

I was paralysed in mind, body and spirit. I had given up. I believed that I would die there and then. I would join my parents and my lost fellow troopers in the eternal darkness of death.

But it would not be an honourable death. It would not be the heroic death I desired so much; fighting gloriously for the Galactic Empire and my beloved Emperor. It would be a shameful death. A death brought about from the weakness that plagued the depths of my own being.

I had failed the Emperor and I was a condemned man. There was only one punishment for failure: Death. I deserved to die.

Struggling for breath, I lay my head back on the wall and opened my eyes. I was cold and numb. I expected to slip into unconsciousness at any moment. I looked up one last time, expecting to see only the hazy steam of the shower area before the black void of death came to claim me.

But I was not the will of the Emperor that I die that day.

Looking up, I realised that I was no longer alone. A human shape walked slowly towards me through the mist of water vapour. I squinted my eyes and recognised the form of naked muscular man.

The figure approached me until he stood directly above me. I recognised immediately who it was. It was Timor. At first, I thought that my mind was playing tricks on me. Sending another image of a lost fellow trooper before I died. But then the figure spoke to me.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Timor looked down at me, an expression of fury and contempt on his face.

I cocked my head to one side and looked up at the figure of Timor towering above me with curiosity. I still believed that I was hallucinating, assuming that Timor was no more than an illusion or a dream, come to mock me for my weakness. But I was wrong, at least in part. Timor was real. He had come back.

The physical reality of Timor's presence became evident when he grabbed me roughly under the arm-pits and jerked me up to a standing position. With my skin being so moist and slippery from the water vapour and soap, it was the only way he could lift me.

I squinted my eyes and looked at the man's face in front of me. "Is that you, Timor?" I gasped.

"Fuck off, you pathetic weakling?" He replied, before slamming me hard against the wall. He punched me in the stomach, causing me to groan from the impact. Then he punched me in the face.

In normal circumstances, such a blow could have caused a lot of damaged. But the slippery surface of the shower area, the water vapour in the air and even the moisture on my skin all conspired to diminish the impact of the blow.

I immediately reacted and tried to punch him back. But I was too off balance and my counter-punch was too weak. He blocked my blow easily and struck me again in the face twice. I felt my nose break and my mouth fill with blood. My head flew back against the wall behind me. Dazed, I slipped down the wall to the floor.

Timor stepped back, an expression of furious contempt on his face. "Get up!" he snarled.

I sat on the floor looking up at him, still struggling to believe it was him. That he was real. That he was truly there.

"What are you doing, Timor?" I cried up at him.

"Get up!" Snarled Timor again. "You pathetic piece of Bantha shit!"

I struggled to my feet, only for Timor to step forward and hammer two blows into my body. I collapsed to the floor again. Fortunately for me, Timor slipped on the wet surface as he tried to hit me a third time. He lost his balance, stumbled and fell to his knees, breaking the momentum of his attack.

We both struggled to our feet, still slipping on the wet surface. I supported myself against the wall. I could feel blood trickle down my face and drip onto the floor below. The wet surface of the shower area below me was covered in small pools of red.

"You fucking weakling." Sneered Timor. "I leave for a few days. And this is what I come back to?"

He moved forward and managed to grabbed my head with both hands. He struck me in the stomach with his right knee, causing me to grunt in pain. In order to keep his balance, Timor could only deliver a weakened blow. But it was enough to make me double up and collapse to a kneeling position on the floor. Standing above me, Timor did not hesitate to take advantage of my vulnerable position. He punched me hard in the face again. I collapsed to the floor again on all fours. My lip was burst. Blood poured from my mouth onto the floor.

Timor walked round me like a vicious predator circling its wounded prey. He looked at me with an expression of disgust on his face.

"So this is what you are really like." He snarled at me. "Weak. Pathetic. feeble minded."

I looked up at him. "Yalasa. Harmony. They are gone." I sobbed, as if that was a valid explanation for my pitiful state.

Timor reacted immediately. He lifted up by chin and struck me again. This time. I felt some of my teath break. I collapsed to the floor and coughed blood and teeth out of my mouth. Timor grabbed me by the arms and pulled me up. He slammed me hard against the wall again and hit me in the stomach. He left me doubled-over and stepped back. He was out-of breath from the exertion of striking me. He glared at me with utter contempt in his eyes.

"And so what." Timor spat at me. "So we lost weak-willed spineless women who should have never been stormtroopers in the first place. That is no loss."

For the first time, I felt a surge of anger flow through me. I grimaced and pulled myself upright.

"If they died. It is because they were weak and pathetic." Timor spat on the floor in front of him.

A strong surge of fury started to build within me as I listened to Timor insult and dismiss two loyal soldiers of the Empire who had served the Emperor faithfully.

"They didn't deserve to serve the Emperor as stormtroopers." Timor sneered. "They polluted the stormtrooper corp with their very presence. They are failures and they don't deserve to live. And neither do you, you fucking whore-loving rebel."

Overcome by blind fury, I found myself moving forward to the attack. Timor was taken by surprise and I gained the early advantage. I hit him twice, once in the stomach and once full in the face. Timor staggered back. I tried to hit him a third time but was unable to maintain the momentum of the attack on the slippery surface. Timor managed to block my blow, before responding with another strike to my face.

I fell back to the floor. Timor didn't follow up. He was winded from my attack and stood still, breathing heavily. It occured to me that he was probably not at full fitness after his time out injured.

I picked myself up, now determined to stand and fight. I looked at Timor with a feeling of pure hatred surging through me. I have always had a dislike for Timor. But at that moment, I hated him more that any fellow trooper. I hated him even more than Klaus.

"I see the boy has found his fight." Timor wiped some blood that was running from his nose. "Defending the honour of two pathetic whores. Two worthless sluts."

I wiped the blood with from my face and crouched into an attack poise. I started to circle round Timor, determined to make him suffer for his dishonourable comments. For the humiliation he was causing me. Cautiously, Timor mirrored my movements.

"They were loyal soldiers of the Emperor." I spat at him. "How dare you dishonour their name."

Timor laughed. But it was a malicious laugh devoid of all humour.

"Since when have you cared about the honour of fallen troopers?" Timor glared at me furiously. "You dumped the body of Jensen like it was a sack of mynock-shit. You didn't honour his name. You have never once honoured the name of any male troopers who have fallen in combat. Not even your beloved Noremac."

We continued circling each other for a moment. I could see the fury burning in Timor's eyes.

"Not that you should care about dead troopers. I certainly don't. I am an obedient soldier of the Emperor." Timor punched his chest with pride. "The Emperor says that only the strong should live. We only exist to serve the will of the Emperor. Dead troopers are worthless. And so are snivelling weaklings like you who cower in a damp corners like a filthy mynock. Just like the cowardly traitor scum who we gladly slaughter without mercy in the glorious name of the Emperor."

I could see the satisfaction on Timor's face as he saw me scowl at him with hatred. As we circled each other, I began to notice the energy flowing through my veins again. The lethargy I felt before had left my body. I still had a pain in my head. But this time it was not caused by the withdrawal symptoms. This pain had been caused by Timor's blows. Blows that I was determined to avenge.

"The truth is, you don't really honour Harmony or Yalasa. You never have." Timor grinned at me with malicious glee. "You only honour Harmony because she was your little whore. And as far as Yalasa is concerned. Well, in her case, you are her little whore, aren't you? Or you would like to be. Assuming of course, her putrid corpse is not rotting at the bottom of a turbolift shaft."

"What do you know about, Yalasa?" I spat back at him. "You don't know her. You don't respect her. You know nothing."

Timor laughed out loud. "You think you know Yalasa after three weeks, you fool. I served with her for years before you arrived. And I know one thing. She is a ruthless manipulating bitch. Just like Leia Organa. Just like all women are. If she saw you in the shameful snivelling mess you are in now, you would be dead by now. She would snap your puny little neck in an instant."

We continued to circle each other. I did not believe what Timor said about Yalasa. I was sure he was just trying to provoke me. He wanted me to attack him in a frenzy. I was determined not to fall in that trap.

"You better hope you find her dead." Timor grinned widely with pure malice, "Because that is the only way she will ever let a pathetic weakling like you fuck her."

Growling with rage at the insult to my honour, I swiftly moved forward onto the attack. We both exchanged and blocked blows as we slipped and slid on the wet surface. The exchange ended when Timor struck me in the chest, winding me and pushing me back. Exhausted from the exchange, Timor did not follow up. I steadied myself and started circling him again. Both of us were breathing heavily from the exertion of the fight.

"You know, I'm beginning to think Organa is right." Timor sneered as we circled each other. "You are weak. Your mind is obviously polluted with rebel concepts of sentimentality and false honour. Perhaps you are the discarded spawn of rebel scum after all."

The accusation that I was a rebel was too much for me. I had controlled my rage when Organa accused me of being a rebel as was my duty. But I could not control it in front of Timor.

With blind fury I rushed forward screaming. But Timor was waiting for me. He side-stepped my attack, using my momentum to throw me up against a wall. This time, he followed up immediately. He advanced quickly and struck me twice, causing my body to slam hard against the wall behind me. I just managed to block his third blow and countered with two firm strikes to Timor's head and body. They didn't do much damage, but they caused Timor to staggered back, giving me a moment of respite.

We both recovered and started circling each other again.

"You know what I think?" Timor did not let up on his campaign of verbal provocation. "You have spent so much time around weak pathetic women, that you have become one."

My mind blanked out everyting around me. It was as if nothing in the universe existed except me, Timor and my desire to smash his face in. I felt the hatred and anger burn through my veins. I was focused on only one thing. Making Timor pay for his insult to my honour.

"You have spent so much time around pussies... " Continued Timor.

Timor licked his lips and smiled maliciously.

"...that now you are one."

Snarling with rage I rushed forward again. This time I managed to hit Timor twice in the head. Timor staggered back and spat some blood and teeth out of his mouth. Believing I had delivered a decisive blow, I halted my attack. In doing so, I failed to obey one of the key tenants of the Galactic Empire. When the enemy is at your mercy, one should not hesitate to crush them with overbearing force. I hesitated and paid the price.

To my surprise, Timor recovered almost immediately from my attack. With a determined pace forward, he launched a vicious counter attack, raining blows on my head and body. I managed to block most of them, but the ferocity of the attack took me by surprise and I found myself pushed back against the wall again. Timor continued his attacks and managed to pin me in the corner with several blows to the body and head.

I managed to block the last couple of blows, before sending him staggering back with one punch to the face. I tried to advance and press home my advantage. But Timor anticipated my attack. He blocked the blow and counter-punched, sending me crashing to the floor.

Fortunately for me, the momentum of the blow caused Timor to slip on the wet surface. He stumbled back away from me, desperately trying to keep his balance.

I managed to recover enough to adopt a defensive stance before Timor could attack again. Timor dropped back into a combat stance in front of me. He looked at my battered and bloodied body with a gloating smile of satisfaction on his face. He smiled as I limped forward to face him again. Timor clearly believed his last attack had caused significant damage.

"You know, I could never beat you in the training hall" Timor started to circle around me. "But I will beat you today. You know why?"

Still crouched in a defensive position, I looked up at him in fury, spitting blood. However, this time I was alert. I was awaiting another attack. Timor circled round me cautiously. Waiting for a moment to strike again. He obviously thought I was on the brink of defeat. But he couldn't be more wrong. I was more ready to fight than ever.

"Because today, I am an imperial stormtrooper." Timor sneered at me. "While you are not."

I scowled at him, growling in response, mirroring his movements.

"Because today, I am loyal soldier of the Galactic Empire..." He spat in contempt. "...and you are not!"

As Timor circled me. I limped round to face him, pretending to be more injured than I really was. I waited patiently, trying to coax him into a false sense if security. Waiting for my opportunity to strike a decisive blow.

"Because today, I, Timor, am a devoted servant of the Emperor..." Timor beat his chest with pride. "...and you are not!"

At that point, a spark of passion, determination and controlled fury ignited in my inner being. I felt a shiver go through my body. But this was was not the debilitating shiver of weakness I felt before. This was a shiver that energised every part of me. Despite my injuries, I felt stronger than at any time during that day. I suddenly remembered who and what I truly was. I was a loyal soldier of the Galactic Empire. I was a devoted servant of the Emperor. I was an imperial stormtrooper, trained to ruthlessly crush my enemies. And on that day Timor was my enemy.

I raised myself up to my full height and growled at Timor before me. He grinned in return. I grinned back at him. I purposefully advanced towards him, energised with a new sense of vigour and determination. Fuelled by my new found devotion to our great Emperor. I knew nothing would stop be in bashing Timor into a piece of bloody pulp.

Suddenly, I launched myself forward. Timor saw me coming and tried to react. But this time, he wasn't facing the snivelling weakling of before. He had once again awoken the loyal soldier of the Galactic Empire that I truly was. That dedicated warrior of the Emperor who had always defeated Timor every time on the training floor. Timor stood no chance.

Timor desperately tried to block my attacks. But this time I was too strong for him. I drove him back with a series of blows. Soon, I knocked him to the floor. I showed no mercy. I continued raining blows down on him as he lay on the floor desperately trying to shield himself from my relentless attack. I sat on Timor's body, straddling his chest. Timor was at my mercy, but I would not stop. This time I would crush my enemy. I continued to rain blows down on Timor as he lay helpless on the floor.

Seeing that Timor was utterly helpless and defeated, I stopped for a moment. I looked at Timors bloody and battered face.

"I am a loyal soldier of the Galactic Empire." I said proudly "I am a devoted servant of the Emperor. Nothing will ever change that."

Despite being uttelry defeated and helpless, Timor looked up at me and smiled at me defiantly. Through his battered mouth, he managed to whisper three words. Three words that filled me with anger and hatred.

"You rebel scum!"

In a fit of fury, I struck Timor twice more. Timor's head struck the floor, knocking him unconscious. I raised my fist again to deliver one last mortal blow. But before I could land it, I felt myself being pulled up and restrained by several troopers in off-duty jump suits. They dragged me out of the shower into the sleeping quarters where they pinned me to the floor.

At first, I struggled. But when a corporal in the group ordered me to stop resisting, I relaxed and stayed still. After a couple of minutes, they let me stand up. I saw the still naked Timor being helped from the shower area by two off-duty troopers.

Moments later, sergeant Dreyfus entered the sleeping quarters in his black stormtrooper uniform. Timor and I were brought before him. He looked at us sombrely and shook his head. Both of us were bloodied and battered. Timor was in a worse state, displaying a deep gash in his forehead that he had received from my last attack. Blood poured down his face.

"Well, did you get what you wanted... sir?" Timor spat at sergeant Dreyfus venomously.

Sergeant Dreyfus glared at him a moment. Then he addressed us both. He ordered us to cease brawling. Both Timor and I reluctantly acknowledged his order. Then he order us to go to the medical area to be treated for our injuries.

Four off-duty troopers from our platoon escorted us to the medical area. Timor and I walked side by side in silence. When we reached our destination, they left us to the care of the medical droids. They knew that we would no longer fight each other. We had received a direct order from a commanding NCO to stop brawling. Timor and I were loyal and obedient soldiers of the Empire. We would obey sergeant Dreyfus' orders. Our fight was over.

When we entered the medical area, there were already several troopers there who had clearly been involved in brawls or who had been subject to administrative punishment. The droids were treating the most serious cases, while the others waited their turn. It was clear that the hangover from the conditioning drug had taken its toll on some troopers.

A medical droid attended to us briefly to give initial treatment and assess our priority. Timor was more badly injured and would be treated before me. We sat in silence not saying a word to each other. Not even looking at each other.

As I waited to be treated, I reflected on what had happened over the last couple of days. I realised with shame in my heart that Timor was right to show me contempt. I realised what a fool I had been. I had let myself be influenced by weak willed women. I had surrendered myself to emotional weakness like the whining slaves and aliens that rebels and traitors loved so much. I realised it was all Organa's doing. She had tried to corrupted me, just as she had done with Skeen, Straven and the two guards of Miss Motti. But I would not be corrupted. I am, and always will be, a loyal soldier of the Galactic Empire. And from that day forth, I was determined to demonstrate it from the very core of my being.

After an hour, Timor was taken for treatment. When the medical droid tried to heal the gash I had caused to his head, he pushed the droid away. He only allowed the droid to clean and bandage the wound. But he refused bacta treatment.

When Timor's treatment was finished, he walked up to the seat where I was waiting. He pointed to the gash on his head and said:

"This scar looks like a big pussy. I'm going to keep this just to remind you what a big bantha-pussy you are. You fucking prick!"

Then he smirked and walked away.

After receiving my treament from the medical droids, I returned to the sleeping quarters. Davos, Mandala and Skeen were standing or sitting at their bunks. As I walked past Timor's bunk, he called out to me.

"Hey, anal-boy. Where is your little whore Harmony?" Timor said it as if he didn't know what had happened to her. I kew he was trying to provoke me. For once his use of my nick-name did not bother me.

I stopped to look at him coldly. "Harmony was killed by a traitor yesterday." Then sarcastically, I added. " Did you not hear, Timor?"

"Did she manage to get into the fucking combat zone this time?" Timor grinned, but without any hint of humour.

"Yes." Was all I replied. "She died gloriously for the Empire. As did Bloor and Kell." I saw the others nod respectfully in silent approval.

"Good." Replied Timor coldly. "At least her tits didn't get in the fucking way this time."

I just nodded and walked on.

"Hey, anal boy!" Called Timor again. I turned to face him. I expected him to gloat about how he had found me weeping in the shower to shame me in front of the others.

In truth, I would not blame him for it. I expected it from him. But to my relative surprise, he did not mention it. Instead, he pointed to the gash on his head that I had given him during our brawl in the shower. He said just one word.

"Pussy!"

I smirked, before turning away. I walked to my bunk. I needed to rest.

* * *

_PSYCHOLOGICAL SECTION_

_PSYCHOLOGICAL REPORT - TROOPER LC-9087_

_The decison to administer the conditioning drug to all stormtroopers on the station caused more disruption than was expected. Several troopers were injured during brawls or subject to administrative punishment for disobedience. Also at least four decimation executions to be carried out throughout the station can be attributed to the administering and subsequent withdrawal of the conditioning drug. Lord Vader has permanently 'dismissed' the head of the Psychological Section from his post as punishment for his poor judgement._

_Trooper LC-9087 (aka the subject) appears to have recovered from his temporary mental breakdown. Tests carried out during his treatment in the medical centre suggest that his emotional condition appears to have stabilised. We believe that the strong positive emotions he experienced during his brawl with trooper NR-8306 re-activated his natural conditioning. He is now acting normally. His status should be carefully monitored over the next few days._

_Trooper LC-9087 (aka the subject) will be subjected to one session of adminstrative puishment for injuring a fellow trooper NR-8306 (aka Timor) without authorisation._

_Trooper NR-8306 (aka Timor) will be subject to two sessions of administrative punishment. One for starting a brawl and one for injuring a fellow trooper without authorisation._

_Trooper NR-8306 should also have received a third session of administrative punishment for demonstrating disobedience to a commanding NCO. However, Sergeant Dreyus requested that the punishment should not be carried out. We understand that sergeant Dreyfus asked trooper NR-8306 to speak to trooper LC-9087 about his condition. But, apparently, the conversation did not go as Sergeant Dreyfus intended._

_Due to the high level of Administrative Punishments currently being carried out, Troopers LC-9087 and NR-8036 should not receive their punisment for at least a month._


End file.
